New Beginnings (Sequel)
by TWrites
Summary: Sam and Mercedes have been together since high school. The couple has been through a lot of trials and tribulations but that hasn't stop them from being together. With new changes happening in their lives, they will conquer any obstacle that may come their way. Buckle up for an amazing ride, this is the sequel to New Beginnings!
1. It's Not Easy Being Tampa

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

Sam sighed as he tossed on a fresh shirt. Once again, they didn't advance to the playoffs and everything that they did wrong as a team, always fell on one person. Him. He didn't know how much more he could take. The last couple of weeks felt like hell to him. He just felt different..like he didn't belong. He closed the locker, grabbing his duffle bag in the process. He grunted as he walked down the hallway. Sam really didn't feel like the interviews tonight. He just wanted to get on the plane and be at home with his girls. Going out the backdoor of the building, he was immediately attacked by flashing lights. Ignoring the millions of questions that was coming his way, he pushed his way past them as he walked to the bus.

Mercedes was sitting in the choir room getting her music plans together. They were getting ready for district that was in a couple of weeks and she knew that they were ready. She jumped a little when she heard the intercom turn on, asking her if she could report to the principal office. She sat her papers down on the bench as she stood up and walked towards the building. She knocked on the door and smiled when he waved her in. She sat down in the chair in front of him, "You wanted to see me, Mr. Patton?"

"Yes Ms. Jones, I did." He straightened up the papers that were on his desk, folding his hands together on top of them, "I wanted to talk to you about the music program."

"Ms. Jones, you have been such a wonderful asset to the school for the last four years and I couldn't have chosen anyone better."

"Mercedes smiled, "Thank you sir."

"But I'm afraid that we have run into a few money problems." He sat up straight in his chair, "Even though we are one of the top public schools in Tampa and we run a lot of successful departments that money goes to, such as the as the choir and football team, we had to do some adjustments."

Mercedes started to frown a little, "What do you mean adjustments?"

He sighed, "I'm afraid we're going to have to cut the music program."

"Excuse me?" Mercedes asked in shock.

"Now this doesn't mean that you're losing your job, that's the last thing I want to happen. You can still teach your music theory class, there just can't be a choir."

"No." Mercedes looked at him with anger shining through her eyes, "Are you trying to tell me that you're cutting this because of money issues for athletics?"

"Ms. Jones, our funding is very low right now and yes, I am cutting it because of that. Our football team has won a lot games these past years.."

"And we've been winning competitions, your point?" Mercedes cut him off, "With all do respect sir, you're not going to sit here and tell me that the football team is more important than my kids. No one should be put above anyone. We are a team. We work together. If money is an issue, let the athletics and the music department combine and fundraise. It doesn't have to result to this." She said shakily on the verge of tears.

"Mr. Patton looked at her with sad eyes, "I'm sorry Ms. Jones but..."

"Mercedes shook her head as she stood up from her chair, swinging the door open as she walked out of the office. She couldn't believe this was happening. Everything that she has worked so hard for was going down the drain. The last four years of her being here was over in a blink of an eye. She grabbed her purse from her classroom and headed out the school. Once she got into her car, she pulled out of the parking lot and headed towards the daycare to pick up her daughter. Wiping the few tears that managed to make their way out as she pulled into the parking lot, getting out quickly. She opened the door and headed towards the front. She greeted Carrie, one of the instructors, as she walked in. She walked to the 'Bumblebee Area', were they kept children three years old and under at. She stopped at the gate as she waited for them to bring Ari. Seeing the biggest smile on Arianna's face when she saw her brought one to her own, "Hey baby girl." She picked her up from out of Mandy's arms, kissing her cheek softly. She thanked them when they handed her the diaper bag. She walked back to her car, opening the backdoor. She sat the bag down on the floor and strapped Ari down in her car seat. She then proceeded to get back in the car and drive off.

* * *

Sam sighed in relief as he opened the front door to the house. He was so happy to be home. He sniffed the wonderful aroma that was in the air, hearing his stomach starting to growl. He sat his things down in the foyer and headed towards the kitchen. On his way he couldn't help but smile when he heard his daughter babbling. He entered the kitchen, greeted by a piercing scream from the small body of Ari, "Hey cookie." He went over to her and lifted out the high chair, "I missed you." He blew kisses on her cheek, causing her to laugh loudly.

Mercedes smiled sadly at the interaction. Her eyes still puffy from crying earlier and she hated that. She was hoping Sam didn't notice. She continued to stir the butter into the mash potatoes.

Sam kissed Ari one last time before he sat her back down. He pinched her cheek as he turned around. He noticed Mercedes was really quiet when he came in. Usually she would be talking to Arianna while she cooked but she wasn't this time. He walked over to her carefully, removing her hand from the spoon. He turned her around, immediately frowning up when he saw the puffiness and redness of her eyes, "What's wrong?"

Mercedes broke eye contact with him, feeling more tears starting to form in her eyes.

Sam hooked his finger underneath her chin, "Baby..talk to me." When she didn't say anything, he wrapped her up into hug, "I can't help you if you don't talk to me sweetheart."

Mercedes fist her small hands into his shirt, sniffling hard, "They're c-cutting the music program."

"What?" Sam asked in shock, he wiped the tears from her face away with his thumbs, "Why?"

Mercedes sniffled as she looked at him, "They're are cutting it because they need more money for the football team. Basically they're saying that they don't give a shit about my kids.

"Baby, I'm so sorry." He hugged her tightly. He knew that her job meant everything to her and it killed him to see her so hurt, "What if I wrote a check.."

"No." Mercedes pulled back and looked at him, "You're not going to do that. If they couldn't find a way to get the money, then you sure as hell ain't going to make it easy for them." She moved away from him wiping her face. She pulled the oven mittens from the draw and slid them on as she walked to the oven to take the chicken out.

Sam sighed as he watched her walk away from him, "Babe..I'm just trying to help." He sat in the chair by Ari, handing her one of her teething rings.

"I understand that Sam and I love you for that but..I guess it's for the best." She shrugged it off even though she was hurting inside. It was breaking her heart that tomorrow she had to tell her students that they could no longer be in choir because it didn't exist anymore. She grabbed two plates and a small bowl down from the cabinet.

Sam watched as she fixed Ari a small amount of mash potatoes in the bowl. His eyes traveled as she sat the plate down on the table and walked back to him signaling for him to get up. He sighed as he stood and walked over to the table, "Thank you for dinner." He said quietly as he sat down in his seat.

"You're welcome." She sat down in front of her daughter, smiling when she saw how excited she was getting. Scooping up some in the spoon, she blew it before she fed it to her.

"Just as Sam was about to pick up his fork, his phone starting ringing. He groaned when he saw his manager calling him, he clicked the answer button and placed it on speaker phone, "Hello?"

"Do you want to tell me why you are refusing interviews?" His manager didn't bother to greet him.

"I just don't want to talk to anyone B. At least not right now."

"Then when Sam? Listen, there are rumors going around that you are thinking about leaving Tampa and I need you to do an interview to clear that up."

Sam bit down on his bottom lip as he looked towards Mercedes, "I am thinking about leaving Tampa."

Mercedes turned to look at him over her shoulder. She knew that Sam was thinking about leaving the team and she was worried about what that meant for her career but it looks like there was nothing holding them back considering what has happen to her today. She turned back to her little girl and continued to feed her.

"WHAT?" Brandon shouted into his phone in shock, "Sam, why didn't you tell me about this?"

"Because I was just thinking about it at first Brandon. For the last couple of months I haven't felt like I belonged here and it got worse when we lost this weekend." He admitted.

"Sam.."

"I'll talk to you later B." He cut him off before he hung up the phone.

Mercedes wiped Ari's mouth before stood up. She handed her her bottle that was filled with water and watched as she wrapped her hands around it, picking it up before she placed it in her mouth. She walked over to Sam, sitting in the chair beside him, grabbing one of his hands.

Sam intertwine their fingers together as he looked at her. He took his free hand and moved some hair away from her face, "I love you." He leaned over to her and captured her lips into a slow, passionate kiss. Tilting his head a little, he ran his hand to the back of her neck, pulling her closely, "I promise that everything is going to be okay."

Mercedes pulled back breathless, "I love you too." She nodded when he said everything was going to be okay. _I hope so_ she thought as she stared intently into his eyes.

* * *

Mercedes looked at her watch as the bell sounded. She had the office do a mandatory call for all her students to come in the auditorium. She paced back and forth, the only sound that could be heard was the echo of her heels clacking against the hardwood floor. Hearing the door open, she sighed as she heard the chattering going on, "Y'all come in and take a seat, I have something important I need to talk to you about something." She waited until everyone was seated until she began.

"Ms. Jones before you start." Taylor stood up from her seat and walked towards her, "We have taken care of everything that we need for district. Here's the receipt." She smiled as she handed it to her.

Mercedes felt her heart swell up, making her even more nervous then she was before. She grabbed the receipt and mumbled a 'thank you'. Fiddling with the paper as she cleared her throat repeatedly, "I just wanted to talk to you about something before you heard it from someone else." She shifted on her feet as she made contact with them, "Um..there will no longer be a choir.." She was interrupted by a collective gasp from them, "There isn't enough money for athletics and music, so they decided to get rid of this. I'm so sorry you guys."

"It's not your fault Ms. Jones, we're going to find a way to fix this." Taylor said as she played with her fingers.

"Taylor..sweetheart." She looked at the girl and then everyone else, "There is nothing we can do. The decision has been made and finalized."

"This is complete bullshit." Jacob said as he stood up. He already knew what was going on because he heard his coaches talking about it yesterday. It mad him furious that they were doing this to them. Jacob was the only quarterback for the team and without him, they was no possible way for them to play. "I'm not going to play until they bring this back."

Mercedes sighed as she looked at him, "Jacob.."

"No Ms. Jones..it's not fair. You've worked your ass off with us and they are taking this away from not only us but from you too. So no, I'm not going to play next year and that's final." He looked at her, piercing blue eyes staring intently into brown.

Mercedes ran her fingers through her hair, holding up her arm as she looked at her watch, "You guys need to get to class. That's all I wanted to talk to you about." She watched as they grabbed their things and walked out.

"I don't know sweetheart." Mercedes looked at her, "I don't know.."

* * *

Sam laid Arianna down on his chest as he sat in the living room. Now that he was done with the season, he decided to take her out of daycare for the rest of the year and watch her himself during the day. He watched as Mercedes came in sitting her purse down in the chair, "Hey."

"Hey." She said softly as she took of her blazer, sitting it beside her purse. Sliding out of her heels, she walked over to the couch and sat beside Sam. She leaned over and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips before she cuddled up into his side.

Sam shifted on the couch a little, keeping one hand on Ari's back, taking the other one and wrapping it around her waist, "How was your day?"

"Do you really want to know?" She said quietly as she played with the edge of his shirt.

Sam bent down and kissed her forehead, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

Mercedes nodded against his chest. The quietness of the house soothing her mind, she smiled faintly as she listen to the small snores that was coming from their daughter, "How was your day?"

"Very entertaining." He smiled as he ran his hand through his daughter's curls, "We have a very active little girl."

Mercedes smiled as she leaned over and gave the sleeping little girl a kiss on the cheek.

Sam looked at her, taking his free hand and grasping it with hers, "Baby I think we should talk about this situation.." He took a deep breath, "I want to make to right decision because it not only about me."

Mercedes looked at him, "I think you should do whatever you think is best. I mean, I was a little hesitant at first because of my job..but I don't have to worry about that part anymore." She shrugged sadly.

"Merce.." He struggled to find the right words. He knew that she was still hurt by this but maybe it was a sign. Just maybe this was a sign that they needed to start somewhere fresh. He kissed her forehead, "We'll talk about this later. Right now, lets just enjoy family time."

"Okay." Mercedes whispered as she pulled the throw blanket over then, closing eyes hoping to finally relieve herself from the pain of these last two days.

* * *

 **A/N. Hey lovebugs! Thank you so much for being patient with me. Still having a little trouble with my computer but I am thankful I was able to fix my chapters for this story & my new one. Hope you enjoy, :)**


	2. One Step At A Time

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 ** _HERO-ENRIQUE IGLESIAS_**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

Mercedes sighed as she flipped through another magazine. Its been one week since the terrible news. She was trying like hell not to let it upset her as much but it was hard. Running her free hand through her curls, she sat the magazine down in her lap and reached over to grab her cup of tea. She blew to cool down the temperature, taking a slow slip of the honey flavored goodness, closing her eyes as the warm liquid went down her throat. Hearing her phone ring, she sat the cup down and picked up her phone, "Hello." She hummed out slowly, her eyes still closed as she leaned back on the couch.

"Hey Mercedes."

Mercedes smiled at the voice, "Hey Quinny. How are you?"

"I'm doing great." Quinn smiled through the phone, gesturing for Puck to put her things in her luggage, "How are you sweetie."

"I'm doing the best I can do right now." She breathed out heavily as she played with the ends of her blanket.

"Sam called and told me what happened. I'm so sorry babe."

"Don't be Q.." She said quietly.

"Everything is going to be okay." Quinn reassured her, running her hand through her blonde locks as she looked around the room for something, "You up for some company for awhile?"

Mercedes' ears perked up, "That would actually be amazing."

"Wonderful. I miss you guys so much. Puck and I are leaving first thing in the morning. I'll call you when we make it to Tampa."

"I can't wait. Have safe trip. Love you."

"We will. Love you too." She said before she hung up the phone, looking over at Puck, she groaned when she saw him laying down.

* * *

Sam was running around the kitchen like a mad man. He had asked Josh if he could watch Arianna while he did something special for Mercedes. He hated how down she was and he just wanted to do something to lift up her mood. He grabbed the platter of french toast and sat it on the table. One of the many traditions that they have started was eating breakfast one night out of the week for dinner. He looked at the table and smiled at the little set up he did. He was pretty proud of himself. He turned around when he heard footsteps, "Hey."

"Hey." Mercedes said slowly, face twisting up in confusion as she looked at the table sat for two, "What's this?"

Sam walked over to her, kissing her lips softly. He smiled when he pulled back, "I made dinner for you." He grabbed her hand and led her to the table, pulling out the chair for her to sit.

"Breakfast for dinner?" Mercedes smiled as she sat down, "It looks really good."

"Hopefully it taste the way it looks." He laughed as he took a seat by her. He grabbed the pitcher of orange juice and poured them a glass.

Mercedes thanked him as she took her fork and grabbed a piece of the toast. Slicing it up, she stuck her fork into it and put it into her mouth, moaning happily at the maple taste, "Not bad Evans.."

"I try." He smirked at her, dodging the swat of her hand. He was glad he could actually put a real smile on her face for once, "I'm really happy that I can make you smile again. It's been awhile."

Mercedes tucked her hair behind her ear, pushing her glasses up on her face, "Well, I know I've been in kind of a funk lately and I'm trying to get out of it. Thank you for doing this for me."

"Don't thank me baby. I just want to make you happy." He squeezed her thigh lightly as he stood up. He went and grabbed his guitar off the counter, "I want to sing you something also." He came back and pulled his chair in front of her, sitting down he fixed his fingers on the right strings and began to strum lightly.

 _Would you dance_

 _If I asked you to dance?_

 _Would you run_

 _And never look back?_

 _Would you cry_

 _If you saw me crying?_

 _And would you save my soul, tonight?_

 _Would you tremble_

 _If I touched your lips?_

 _Would you laugh?_

 _Oh please tell me this._

 _Now would you die_

 _For the one you loved?_

 _Hold me in your arms, tonight._

 _I can be your hero, baby._

 _I can kiss away the pain._

 _I will stand by you forever._

 _You can take my breath away._

Mercedes smiled slightly as she watched him, neither one breaking eye contact with the other.

 _Would you swear_

 _That you'll always be mine?_

 _Or would you lie?_

 _Would you run and hide?_

 _Am I in too deep?_

 _Have I lost my mind?_

 _I don't care..._

 _You're here tonight._

 _I can be your hero, baby._

 _I can kiss away the pain._

 _I will stand by you forever._

 _You can take my breath away._

 _Oh, I just want to hold you._

 _I just want to hold you, oh, yeah._

 _Am I in too deep?_

 _Have I lost my mind?_

 _Well, I don't care..._

 _You're here tonight._

 _I can be your hero, baby._

 _I can kiss away the pain, oh, yeah._

 _I will stand by you forever._

 _You can take my breath away._

 _I can be your hero._

 _I can kiss away the pain._

 _And I will stand by you forever._

 _You can take my breath away._

 _You can take my breath away._

 _I can be your hero._

He sang the last part lowly as he looked at her. Sitting his guitar to the side, he leaned forward and wiped her tears, "I love you so much. Never forget that." He kissed her softly on her lips.

Mercedes placed her hands over his, "I love you too." She kissed him again, "So much." She moved her mouth slowly against his.

Sam smiled into the kiss, tasting the sweet syrup that was stuck against her lips. He stood up, pulling her with him, never detaching their mouths, "We can finished dinner later." He mumbled against her skin as he holstered her up.

Mercedes gasped into his mouth as she wrapped her thighs around his waist. She giggled loudly as she felt him moving his mouth along her neck as he walked up the stairs to their bedroom for one long night.

* * *

Sam grunted as he open his eyes, placing a hand over his mouth as he let out a yawn. He looked down when he felt a pair of arms around his waist, smiling down as the sight of his fiancée came in view. He bent down and kissed her collar bone, letting his lips linger against his skin for a moment before he pulled away. He gently unwrapped her arms from him and removed himself out of the bed and walked to the bathroom for a shower.

Mercedes lifted her head from her pillow with a content smile tugging on her lips. Last night was..lets just say, the stress was no longer there. Sam worked wonders on her and she surely felt it when she sat up in the bed. Hearing the water running, she figured he was in the shower. She unwrapped the covers for around her and headed to the bathroom.

Sam let the hot, steamy water run over his tight muscles as he stood in the shower. He was reaching over to grab the loofa from off the wall when he caught a glimpse of Mercedes. He walked over and opened the door to the shower, "Wanna join?"

He smirked as he let his eyes traveled down her backside when she got in, licking his lips as he pulled her to his front, kissing down the side of her neck, "We can always go for another round..."

"As wonderful as that sounds, we can't. Quinn and Puck will be here any minute." She bit back a moan when she felt his hands sliding over her hips.

Sam huffed and pulled back, feeling a full on pout taking over his lips, "Fine."

Mercedes turned around to face him, wrapping her arms around his neck, "I'll make it up to you." She kissed his cheek, "I promise."

"Pinky promise?" He held out his pinky with a lopsided grin.

Mercedes snorted as she hook her pinky with his, "Pinky promise." She kissed their conjoined pinkies and then pull his head down for another kiss.

The couple stayed in the showered for ten minutes, half of time spent making out and the other half, actually getting cleaned up. When they were finished, they dried off and threw on t-shirts and shorts and headed downstairs. To their surprise, their friends had already made it.

Quinn held Arianna in her arms as the little girl looked at her curiously, "You're so beautiful, just like your mommy."

"I helped too." Sam said playfully as he walked over to Puck and gave him a hug.

Quinn rolled her eyes, "Ignoring you." She smiled as she walked over to Mercedes, "Hey love." She laughed as Arianna starting to reach for Mercedes with a smile on her face.

She kissed her cheek and stood back, picking up her smiling daughter out of her best friend's arms.

"She's gorgeous." Puck said to Mercedes with a smile, turning back to Sam, letting a smirk take over his lips, "You guys have a serious heartbreaker on your hands."

"There's not going to be a need for heartbreaking. She's not dating ever." Sam said sternly as he looked at them from his seat.

"Sam.." Mercedes laughed at her fiancé, shaking her head with a smile, "She's going to date."

"Not if I have a say in it." He dramatically folded his arms with a frown.

Quinn shook her head at her friend, "You're only going to make it worst by saying she can't. She'll probably start sneaking out."

Sam eyes went wide, "Hell no. Arianna is going to have locks on her windows." He looked at his daughter, "You're not dating baby girl, I'm sorry. Just think of this as saving daddy's ass from a murder charge."

"Language Sam." Mercedes gave him a stern look.

He shrugged unapologetically, "Sorry but she needs to know."

Quinn rolled her eyes and picked up her purse, "You're so dramatic."

"Not dramatic, just realistic." He smiled brightly at him.

Mercedes snorted, "Are you guys hungry?"

"I thought you would never ask. I'm starving." Puck said as he heard his stomach starting to growl.

"Lucky for you I brought pizza." Josh said as he entered the living room with a case of beer in one hand while the other one balanced the two boxes, "Quinn texted and told me to bring some food while she took Mercedes out for lunch."

"Yes I did." Quinn said as she turned to Mercedes, "Now go get dress."

"Okay.." Mercedes smiled as she looked at daughter, "Come on cookie." She turned and walked up the stairs, getting herself dress first and then Arianna.

* * *

Mercedes thanked the hostess for bringing a high chair out from Ari. She leaned over and sat her daughter in the seat, smiling when she saw Arianna immediately starting to play with Quinn's bracelet.

"Do you like that?" Quinn smiled at the carmel skinned girl, taking the bangle off, she slid on Ari's small wrist, watching as her eyes brighten.

Mercedes played with the straw in her water, looking over at her friend, "I'm so glad you're here."

"I am too. I miss hanging out with you." Quinn smiled at her just as the waitress came up.

"Hi my name is Bethany and I'll be your waitress for today. Are you two ladies ready to order?"

"Yes, I'll have the chicken caesar wrap with a lemonade."

"Certainly." She wrote down Quinn's order and turned to Mercedes, "And for you Miss?"

"I'll have the club sandwich with fries and may I get a small bowl of apple sauce please?"

"Yes ma'am." She smiled brightly at them, her eyes moving towards the little girl as she took up their menus, "She's so adorable."

"Thank you." Mercedes replied sweetly.

"No prob. I'll be back shortly." She walked away, leaving the trio alone.

Quinn crossed her legs, placing her hands on top, "I heard the rumors about Sam leaving the team. What happened Merce?"

Mercedes shrugged lightly as she started to fiddle with her hands. She didn't know the exactly what happened with Sam and the team but she knew something was bothering him.

Quinn reached for her hand, "How are you feeling after everything?"

"I'm good..better than I have been. I think that everything is going to be okay, everything happens for a reason. I'm done stressing over it. Just going to let it go and let God handle it."

"That's all you can do sweetie." Quinn said softly, looking over to Arianna who was still distracted by her bracelet, "You don't need to be stressed when you gave little one who needs you."

"I know." Mercedes smiled as she picked Arianna up from her chair, earning a little squeal from her as she placed her in her lap, "She's the only thing that matters."

Quinn nodded with a smile, placing her hands on the table, "Enough about the depressing stuff." She smirked at her friend, "You're engaged and we..yes we, need to start planning your wedding."

Mercedes chuckled at her excitement, "You're going to help me?"

"Of course." Quinn raised an eye brow, "Why waste money on a wedding planner when you have a best friend who is willing to do it for free?" She quipped lightly.

Mercedes laughed, "So true but you know we are not going to let you do this for nothing." She smiled when the waitress came and sat their food down. She pulled the high chair closer to her and placed Arianna back in, earning a frown from the little girl, "Mommy has to eat and feed you baby, so you have to sit in there."

Arianna made a whimpering noise as she looked at Mercedes, her face crumpling up, hazel eyes filling up with tears.

"Oh my god Cedes.." Quinn said as she looked on, placing a hand over her heart.

"Arianna.." Mercedes looked at her daughter, sighing as she picked her up again, a smile immediately taking over the little girl's features. Mercedes shook her head, "Already an actress."

"An adorable one at that." Quinn smiled at the two before she picked up her wrap.

"I'm so going to tell your father about this." Mercedes smiled at her, spooning up some of the apple sauce and placing it in her mouth.

* * *

"So what exactly are you going to do?" Puck asked Sam as they lounged around in the living room.

"To be honest, I'm really thinking about leaving. I haven't even told Cedes yet but coach has been putting me under a lot of pressure. Long practices, extra conditioning and one fucked up thing he did was call out a bounty on another team and I just can't play in an environment like that." Sam spatted out angrily, running his hands over his face.

Puck eyes went wide, "Seriously?"

Josh sat up in his seat, "Wait.." He held up his hand, "A bounty? Meaning you are go out there and intentionally hurt someone?" When Sam nodded, Josh shook his head incredulously, "Fuck no Sam. You need to get away from this team. I know it wouldn't be you doing the dirty work but that shit is messed up."

"I know.." Sam said quietly as he sat back on the couch.

"Why haven't you told Cedes?" Puck asked curiously.

"Honestly I don't know.."

"She going to fucking kill you for keeping this from her." Josh said matter factly as he stood up from the couch, almost tripping over his feet when he heard her voice.

"Keeping what from me?" Mercedes asked as she came in view.

Sam gulped loudly as he looked at her.

Puck stood up from the couch and walked over to her, taking Arianna from her and grabbing Quinn's hand, leading them to another room.

"It was nice knowing you buddy." Josh said as he patted his back and exited out of the room in search for his niece that Puckerman took.

Mercedes slid her purse off her shoulder and sat it on the couch, walking over and standing in front of him, "What's going on?"

Sam bit down on his lip as he looked at her, "I've been dealing with some things at work that I haven't talk to you about. Part of it is the reason I want to get away from here."

"I'm listening." She moved to sit beside of him.

Sam sighed as he began to explain everything that has happened to him. He could clearly see the disappointed etched across her face, "I didn't want you to worry."

Mercedes threw her hands up into the air, letting out a humorless laugh, "I was worried about you anyways when you wouldn't tell me what was wrong. God Sam..." She stood up abruptly from the couch, "You have got to stop keeping things from me."

Sam winced when she yelled at him, "I'm sorry Mercedes.."

Mercedes shook her head as she walked out of the living room. She couldn't believe that he would keep something that big and major to himself.

Sam got up from the couch and went after her, grabbing her wrist for her to stop, "Please stop."

Mercedes yanked her arm away from him, "No..you should've fucking told me. Those meetings that you said you were in, you were really practicing weren't you? You were working yourself to death Sam. Did you not think of the consequences that could've happen? Your health? Our daughter? I know your want to be committed to work but just think about her."

"Mercedes do you think I didn't? I was doing this for us. Even how fucked up the situation was, I was doing it for us." Sam tried to keep his voice from rising but he couldn't help it, "Now, I can finally say I'm done with Tampa because we are no longer going to be here." He admitted out loud for the first time. His decision was made. He didn't know where they were going but he was not going to keep his family here longer than he had to.

Mercedes was pissed beyond measures but she was also glad that he finally told her the truth even if she was mad. She clamped her mouth shut when she heard him say what she had been waiting for conformation for weeks. Coming out of her thoughts, she looked at him with a solemn look before she turned and tried to walked away again.

Sam stalked behind her, growling in frustrated, "Don't walk away from me Mercedes." He followed her until she reach the side door to backyard.

"If I don't, I'm really going to hit you in your damn mouth." She spatted out as she attempted to open the door.

Sam placed his hand over it, slamming it shut, "If you want to hit me, hit me. It's not going to change the fact that I didn't tell you. I can't apologize enough for that. I know I put my health at risk and I'm sorry baby."

Mercedes felt her eyes filled up with tears as she looked at him, letting out harsh breath, "Why didn't you tell me Sammy?"

Sam took his hands and wiped her tears away, leaning down to press a kiss her lips, "I'm sorry.."

Mercedes closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face when his lips touch hers. She placed her hands over his, "I just want us to be happy Sam. I'm so tired of us hurting."

"I am too. I promise I'm going to make this right. I promise." He said quietly as he placed his forehead against hers, "I love you."

Mercedes sighed as she wrapped her arms around his waist, "I love you more."

"Do you still want to punch me in my mouth?" He let out a small smile.

Mercedes look at him embarrassingly, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." He rubbed his hands up and down her back, "I love you so much baby and I'm going to make this right for us."

"I believe you." She whispered as she held on to him tightly.

Sam hugged her for dear life, never wanting to let go. He was going to do whatever it takes to make things better for his family.

* * *

 **A/N. Y'all deserve this update for being so patient. Don't worry you guys, things are going to get better for Samcedes. More surprises coming your way. :)**


	3. The Decision

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 _ **IT'S SO HARD TO SAY GOODBYE TO YESTERDAY-BOYZ II MEN**_

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

Josh was walking up the driveway from getting the mail, shuffling through it, his hand immediately stopped when he came across the letter he has been dreading. Since Christmas, he had been thinking a lot about what Sam and Mercedes said about going back to school, so he has been applying to different colleges.

Mercedes was getting the stroller out the back of the truck when she saw Josh coming up, "Hey Joshy.." She smiled softly his way, "Ari and I are going for a walk. You want to go?"

Josh snapped out of his daze and looked at her, "Sure." He walked to the back of the truck and opened door, smiling when he saw Arianna playing with the keys, "Hey munckin." He sat the mail down on the floor but stuffed his letter in his back pocket. He unstrapped Ari from her car seat and sat her in the stroller, buckling her up. He watched as Mercedes locked the door and grabbed the handles of the stroller.

Once they got on the sidewalk, they engaged into a casual conversation until Mercedes noticed something was bothering him, "What's wrong?"

"Huh?"

"Something's wrong with you." She said matter of factly.

Josh grabbed the letter from his pocket and handed it to her, "I got this in the mail."

Mercedes stopped and grabbed the letter, seeing it was halfway open, she pulled it out and unfolded it. Reading the lines carefully, a smile immediately began to grace her lips, "You got in..Congratulations!" She gave him a big hug.

"Thanks."

Mercedes looked at him, taking note that he wasn't acting excited at all, "What's wrong?"

"I'm just.." He took a deep breath, looking away from her, "This couldn't have come at a worst time."

"Why do you say that?" She looked at the letter again.

"I mean..everything that's going on with Sam right now..I can't leave y'all like this."

"Sam and I can handle it. This is way more important. You got into school, this is a very big opportunity for you." Mercedes rubbed his shoulder with a small smile.

"I know that Cedes..I just...I can't leave my family right now when we're going through this."

Mercedes sighed as she sat on the nearby bench, pulling Ari closer to her, she looked at him blowing out a breath, "What are you going to do?"

He stood in front of her, stuffing his hands in the front of his khaki shorts, "Wherever Sam signs to next, I'm going to school there. Believe me, I applied to every college in a major city."

Mercedes snorted at his admission, "Did you really?"

Josh laughed loudly, "Yeah..I mean, if we are leaving this place then I want to be somewhere where I'm close to you guys." He squatted down in front of Ari, "I definitely can't be too far away from you." He tickled her side, earning a giggle from her.

Mercedes smiled at him, "We couldn't either. You're apart of our family and without you, we would be incomplete."

Josh stood up and gave her a hug, "I love you so much Merce."

"I love you too." She hugged him back tightly, leaving a peck on his cheek. She stood up and grabbed the stroller, "Lets go home."

"Okay." He smiled as he walked beside her back to the house.

* * *

Sam held on to both of Ari's hands as he let her walk in front of him. They were walking from the kitchen to the living room. She was still trying on her own but couldn't balance herself causing her to fall often. Dr. Skye told them that she wasn't ready yet and that was okay. Babies developed differently and basically on their own time. He looked down with a smile when he saw her face light up when she saw Rocky, "Come here boy." He called for the dog. Rocky stood up from his bed and went to them, tail wagging excitedly. He looked at Arianna and licked her face, causing the girl to squeal out in happiness.

Mercedes tied her hair back into a ponytail as she walked down the stairs. This morning she was going to the school to clean out the choir room and Quinn was tagging along to help. She decided that she was going to finish out the year teaching her music theory class and that was it. She smile when she saw Sam and Ari walking around in the living room, "Hey babies."

Sam looked up and smile, "Hey babe." He swung their giddy daughter up in his arms and walked over to her, leaning down to give her a kiss on the lips.

Arianna mimicked her daddy's actions, leaning down and giving her mommy a kiss on her lips too.

Mercedes smiled at the two of them, "What are y'all doing today?"

"Well, Josh and Puck are going to watch Arianna while I do the press conference." Sam said, giving her a knowing look.

Mercedes straightened up Ari's sock before she let out a sigh, "Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah..I'm sure Mercedes. I want what's best for me..for us..and leaving is what's best." He balanced Arianna on his side as he looked at her.

"Okay." She whispered as she stepped back, smiling at her daughter.

Sam kissed her again, "I love you, okay?"

"I love you too."

Quinn rounded the corner with her bag, going over to hug Sam and Ari. She turned back to her best friend, "Ready?"

"Yeah." Mercedes grabbed her keys, "I'll see y'all later." She kissed them one last time before she left.

"Tell mommy bye." He took his hand so Ari could see how to wave it. When she did, he couldn't help but let out a proud smile.

Mercedes blew a kiss to them before she walked out the door with Quinn in tow.

Sam turned back to his daughter, "Are you going to be good for Uncle Josh and Uncle Puck?"

Arianna grabbed his face with her chubby hands and stared at him with a smile.

Sam snickered as he headed to the stairs, "I guess that's a no."

* * *

Mercedes sat at the piano looking through the memory book from the past few years. She was going to miss this but she guessed it was time to move on. Placing it in the last box, she sighed as she looked over to Quinn, "I think that's everything."

Quinn stood up from the floor, "Want me to put that in the car?"

"Please." Mercedes smiled sadly as she closed the top, letting out a slow breath.

Quinn walked over to her with a soft smile displaying on her lips, "You're going to be fine Cedes. You're closing one chapter just to open a new one." She grabbed the box from her, winking at her before she turned on her heels.

"I know Q." She watched her walked out the door. Mercedes sighed once again, turning back to the piano, her hands covering over the keys. She was just about to start playing until she heard someone clear their throat, turning her head, a smile immediately coming to her face, "What are you guys doing here?"

There stood Cannon, Chris, Katie and Karly with despondent looks on their face.

Karly walked to her, "We heard about what happened.."

Mercedes smile soon started to fade, "Oh.."

"It's just not fair Ms. Jones." Katie said, feeling tears fill up in her eyes. Just because she graduated and is in college, doesn't mean that she stopped caring about Mercedes, "You don't deserve this."

Mercedes sighed as she turned to look at them, pointing towards the risers, "Have a seat." She waited until they were seated before she spoke, "This is nothing you need to worried about especially now that you're in college. I love you all so much but you need to focus on yourselves. I'm okay..I'm going to be okay. Was it screwed up that it happened? Yes. But God has other plans for me...better plans for me."

Quinn stopped outside of the door when she heard Mercedes talking. She couldn't help but feel the sadness for her friend but she knew that she was strong enough to overcome it.

Cannon sighed, "They'll never find another teacher like you."

Chris nodded in agreement, "That's true. You're one of a kind Ms. Jones and by next year, they'll see the mistake that made by getting rid of the choir."

Mercedes smiled at them, "You guys came from how ever many hours just to say this?"

They all smiled at her and spoke in unison, "Duh."

"We love you Ms. Jones." Katie said.

"And I think it's pretty damn clear that we would do anything for you." Chris said with a small smirk.

Mercedes eyes started to glisten with tears, she sniffled as she opened her arms, "Bring it in."

They all wrapped into one big group hug.

Mercedes smiled as she hugged them, "How about one more song before I closed these doors for good?" When they pulled back and nodded, she turned back to the piano and started to play, singing softly as the intro began.

 _How do I say goodbye to what we had?_

 _The good times that made us laugh_

 _Outweigh the bad._

 _I thought we'd get to see forever_

 _But forever's gone away_

 _It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday._

 _I don't know where this road_

 _Is going to lead_

 _All I know is where we've been_

 _And what we've been through._

 _If we get to see tomorrow_

 _I hope it's worth all the wait_

 _It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday._

 _And I'll take with me the memories_

 _To be my sunshine after the rain_

 _It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday._

 _And I'll take with me the memories_

 _To be my sunshine after the rain_

 _It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday._

She sighed as she stopped playing, looking over at them with a sad smile as she stood up, "Lets get out of here." She walked behind them, stopping at the door, she turned back around giving the room one last glance before she turned off the lights.

* * *

Sam looked at the watch on his wrist as he sat by his manager, Brandon. This was it. In less than thirty seconds, he would be announcing to the world that he was leaving the team. Shuffling the papers in front of him, he heard the room get silent and they gave him the signal to started talking.

"Good Afternoon everyone. I would like to thank you for coming out today. I have been with the Tampa Bay Organization for three years and I have to admit that I've enjoyed it. There was a time when I said I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but here. Over the last year, that has changed. What I'm trying to say here is that I will no longer be on this team.." He drifted off when he heard a collective gasp and the cameras started flashing, clearing his throat, "There has been some things that been going on that I do not want to involve with nor do I agree with. Today, I'm making the decision and removing myself from this tainted environment." He let out a small breath, "I do want to thank the Tampa community. You guys showed me nothing but love and support throughout my career here and I couldn't thank y'all enough. Thank you." He stood up, ignoring the calls of his name as he walked out of the room with Brandon in tow. He leaned against the wall when they made to the hallway.

"You did the right thing Sam."

Sam looked at him, "I know."

"Now we wait." Brandon patted his shoulder before he walked off.

"Now we wait." Sam repeated lowly as he looked towards the double doors.

* * *

Mercedes held Arianna in her lap as she rock back and forward in the rocking chair. After Mercedes and Quinn came back, she fixed dinner for everyone and gave her little one a bath.

Sam sat his keys on the table as he closed the door behind him. He peeked in and saw that everyone was in the kitchen eating. He was going to speak but decided to come back and do so. He undid his tie as he walked up the stairs. Once he made it to the top, he figured Mercedes was in Ari's room because the light was on. Walking down further, he smiled at the sight of his daughter sprawled out on her mother fighting her sleep, "Hey."

Mercedes looked over at Sam with a slight smile, "Hi." She felt Arianna start to shift when she heard Sam's voice. She looked over at her daddy and let out a tired smile.

Sam walked over to them, dropping a kiss on Mercedes forehead, picking up his daughter, he walked over to the small couch that was in her room and sat down.

Mercedes wrapped herself in the warmth of her blanket, "I left you a plate in the microwave."

Sam smoothed down his daughter's curls, laying her on his chest as he began to rock her to sleep. Looking over at Mercedes when she spoke, he nodded, "Thank you."

"You're welcome baby." She stood up with her blanket and headed towards him, cuddling up to his side when she sat down. She wasn't going to being up his press conference at all. If he wanted to talk about it then he'll talk when he was ready.

Sam was grateful that she didn't bring up the press conference. Every since he left, his phone had been blowing up with calls, texts, emails and even twitter mentions. He just wanted to disconnect himself from the world right now and focus on what really mattered. His family. These two beautiful girls right here in front of him was what he needed to focus on. Seeing that she had finally fell asleep, he kissed Ari's forehead, "I love you so much Ari." He turned to Mercedes, "And I love you too. Never forget that."

Mercedes leaned over and kissed his pouty pink lips, "I couldn't forget that if I tried." She laid her head down on his shoulder, "We're going to be okay babe."

"Of course we are." He pulled her closer, laying his head down on hers, closing his eyes, "Just fine."

* * *

 **A/N. So here's another update! I don't have much to say, the chapter pretty much explained it. Hope you enjoyed it. :)**


	4. Arianna's Birthday

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

Mercedes walked through the house after cleaning up the kitchen. Since school was finally out, her and Sam have been trying to figure out their next move but that was just going to have to wait. Their daughter's birthday was just around the corner and they had a party to plan. Finding the two in the living room, she smiled when she saw Sam trying to help her walk, "Hey." She sat on the floor, crossing her legs.

"Hey baby." Sam said with a smile, holding their daughter by her hands.

Arianna looked at her mother with smile, letting go of Sam's hands and dropping to the floor to crawl towards her mother.

Mercedes laughed as she picked her up, kissing her cheek lovingly, "Someone's birthday is coming up."

Sam smiled as he stood up and sat on the couch, "I'm thinking we go all out for this. I say we get a bouncy houses, Disney princesses, a petting zoo, face painters.."

Mercedes looked at Sam shaking her head with a smile, "Babe..she's turning one."

"I know baby, but you only get to turn one once." Sam said as he looked at her pouting.

Mercedes rolled her eyes at his pouting, "Sam.."

"Okay, we don't have to do the petting zoo or princesses but we can get a bouncy house and professional face painters." He said excitedly, "I got this Mercedes. I'm going to plan our baby girl's first birthday party."

Mercedes giggled at his excitement, smiling when Arianna moved out of her arms and crawled around the living room, "You're going to do all the planning?"

"Yes. So you can relax and don't have to stress over anything. After you carried her for nine months plus dealt with my bullshit, it's the least I could do."

Mercedes couldn't help but smile. This is why she loved this man. He was the most caring soul ever, "Thank you."

Sam smirked at her, "You're welcome sweetheart."

Arianna grunted as she grabbed the end of the table, pushing her body upwards, smiling widely as she listened to her parents talk. Curiosity taking over her, she let go of the table and took one of her small feet and moved forward, wobbling a little but kept her balance, squealing loudly to get her parents attention.

Mercedes turned her head when she heard her daughter, mouth dropping when she saw her walking to her, "Oh my god."

Sam looked at her strangely before he followed her line of sight, his eyes bugged out before he jumped off the couch to get the camera from the table. He ran to the front, almost tripping over the rug, snatching the camera from the table, he ran back and clicked the record button.

Mercedes smiled happily as she had out her arms, "Come on baby, walk to mommy."

Arianna smiled, showcasing two bottom teeth. She looked down at her feet, taking slow steps, looking back her mother with a pout. She looked over at her father, who had to camera in his hands, she let out a small huff as she carefully walk to her mother arms, holding out for her as she giggled, falling into her arms.

Mercedes wrapped her arms around the small body, tears springing from her eyes, "Mommy's so proud of you." She kissed her forehead.

Sam wiped a stray tear that escape from his eye, turning off the camera, he sniffled a little as he moved towards them.

Mercedes leaned over and wiped his eyes, "Our baby is growing up."

Sam nodded as he wrapped his arms around his girls. Love. That's all he wanted to be surrounded by was love.

* * *

Mercedes watched from the kitchen as Sam hung up the decorations inside of the house. The whole front to the kitchen was full of pink and purple balloons, streamers, and more beautifully decorated decorations. She grabbed her cup of coffee and walked towards the living room, "Do you need some help babe?"

Sam turned and looked at her with a soft smile, "No, I'm fine."

Mercedes nodded as she looked around sipping on her coffee. She heard the doorbell ring so she headed towards the foyer, opening the door, she smiled at the workers who were there to set up the bouncy houses in the back, "I'll show you the way." She stepped out of the house, closing the door behind her and walked down the steps, leading them to the backyard.

Sam let the last balloon go up in the air as he stood back and admired his work, "Not bad. Now I just have finished the back." He mumbled to himself, turning his head when he heard the front door open again.

"Hey." Josh said as he carried in some bags with the twins in tow, who were currently toting some boxes in their hands as well.

"Thanks for picking up the food for me." Sam said as he followed them into the kitchen.

"No problem." Josh said as he removed some of the trays from the box.

"Yeah..I'm glad we finally got it here or Stevie was going to eat a tray by himself." Stacey said as she sat on the stool.

"I know not what you speak of." He said, giving his sister a major side eye.

Sam rolled his eyes at him, "Yeah I bet you don't. Look, I need you guys to set the food on the trays for me while I go set up outside. Thank you." He said as he walked towards the back, smiling when he saw Mercedes watching from the steps. He walked behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing the side of her neck.

"The face painters are here." She said as leaned against him.

"Everything's on schedule." He looked down at her, "Guest will be coming in less than hour and a half and I have to finish decorating out here so I'm going to need you to go get dressed and to get Ari dressed."

"So demanding." She said playfully as she turned around and pulled him down by the neck for a kiss, "But I like it when you take control."

Sam let out a low growl, kissing the side of her face, "You better go before we give these people a very inappropriate show." He patted her butt, giving her a little pushed to the door.

Mercedes smiled as she walked into the house, stealing one of the strawberries from the tray.

Stevie looked at her in shock, "How come she gets to eat one?"

"This is her daughter's party, her house, and because she can." Josh said, stating the obvious for the younger Evans brother.

"Well Arianna is my niece so.." He grabbed a grape, only to have it smack out of his hand by his father.

"Stop eating the fruit." Dwight said to his youngest as he walked into the kitchen with a large gift bag in his hand.

"Papa." Mercedes said with a smile, hugging the older man.

"Hey Merce." He said sweetly as he hugged her back, sliding the present in her hand, "For Arianna but there is something for you and Sam inside too."

Mercedes nodded as she pulled back with smile, "Thank you."

Dwight nodded, rubbing his hands together, "Where's the birthday girl?"

"I was just heading upstairs to wake her up." Mercedes said as she headed up the stairs to go get her daughter up and dressed for her party.

* * *

The guest started to arrive around two, kids from the daycare Arianna attended were filling up the Jones-Evans backyard. Sam smiled as he told the parents that they could sit back and chill out, letting the hired caretakers look after the children as they played. Walking through the kitchen, he stopped in his tracks, heart melting at that sight of his daughter.

Mercedes held on to Ari's hand as she walked carefully. She was still getting use to walking on her own but the little girl enjoyed it very much. Mercedes had dressed Ari in a white shirt with pink writing that said Birthday Girl on it, a pink tu-tu, and some silver sandals. Mercedes looked up at Sam with a smile on her face, "She's cute isn't she?"

Sam nodded as he bent down and picked up his giggling daughter, placing a small kiss on her cheek, "You look beautiful baby girl." He smiled when she tapped his nose, his eyes drifting over to Mercedes, "And you look stunning."

Mercedes gave him a kiss on the lips. She was dressed in a long high waist pink maxi skirt with a creme colored cropped crotchet blouse. Her hair was straighten and she was sporting natural make up on her face, "Thank you baby."

"You're welcome." He bounced his daughter in his arms, turning to her, "You ready baby girl?"

"Wait.." Stacey screeched as she came into the kitchen with her camera, "You three get together."

Sam rolled his eyes jokingly at his younger sister as he moved his free hand around Mercedes's waist, letting out a lopsided grin.

Mercedes scooted in closer to him, placing her hand on her daughter's back as she looked over at Stacey smiling.

Stacey smiled when they all turned, focusing the camera on the small family, taking three and then looking at them, "Absolutely beautiful." She muttered as she looked at the photos, she stared at it as she silently walked out to the back yard.

Mercedes looked at the young girl strangely before looking at Sam, "Is she okay?"

"Just Stacey being Stacey." Sam chuckled, looking down when he felt a small hand playing with his necklace, "How about we go get our face painted?"

"Okay." Mercedes smiled as she walked out the screen door, greeting some of the guest as she walked to the area where they had the painters set up.

"Hi..what can I get you?" One of the girls asked with a bright smile.

"I'll get a ladybug and the birthday girl over here." Mercedes pinched her daughter's cheek lovingly, "...will get a butterfly."

"No problem. Just have a seat right here and I'll do that for y'all." She smiled before she looked over to Sam, "And for you sir?"

"Surprise me." Sam said as he went over to the guy for him to do it.

Mercedes giggled as she shook her head at Sam. Looking down at their daughter, who was staring at the colors that was being mixed up for her face.

Arianna giggled when she felt the brush on her face, looking up at her mother with a shock face when the coolness of the paint touched her.

Mercedes smiled at her, "You have to be still baby."

She pouted as she turned back around.

Mercedes laughed at her. She was truly a character for a one year old.

They sat there for about ten minutes until the girl was announced that they were done. Mercedes took the mirror and was in awe of the work she did, "You did amazing, thank you."

"No problem." They girl smiled as she walked to someone else.

"Holy shit!" Sam yelled as he looked in the mirror, causing some of the parents to look at him strangely.

"Sam!" Mercedes hissed as she stood up from the chair, standing Ari up on the ground, she walked over to him, "Language.."

"I'm sorry babe but this is fucking awesome." He said in a hushed whisper as he titled his face for her to see.

"Oh wow.." Mercedes hook her finger underneath his chin, lifting it up as she took in a very elegant 3-D version of superman's shield, "They are good.."

"Better than good." Sam nodded with a smile, "Where's Ari?"

"Um.." Mercedes turned around and saw that she was with Josh. The duo was heading over to the bouncy house, "There she is.."

Sam nodded as she stood up from his seat, stretching a little, holding out his hand, "Come to the kitchen with me."

"Okay.." Mercedes took his hand and followed behind him as they entered the house. She sat at the table, sighing as she did, "You did a really good job babe." She said as she looked outside at the kids having a ball.

"Thank you." He said as he brought a plate of hot dogs and sat them in the middle of the table, fixing her up one, "You know..you two are the best thing that has happened to me." He said quietly as he placed her dressed dog on a plate.

"You are too baby." She said as she reached for his hand, kissing the back of it, "I know that the things you're going through right now is hard but just know that everything is going to be okay. You have me, Ari, Josh and the rest of your family by your side."

Sam nodded as he looked at her with a sad smile, "I know..I'm sorry I'm ruining the fun mood."

"You're not ruining anything." She stood up and sat down in his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck, she bent down to give him a peck on the lips.

Sam wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her back softly, "I love you so much."

"Love you more." She gave him another peck and another one before she pulled back after hearing her tummy rumble, "Guess it's time to eat." She moved to get off his lap but his grip tighten.

"Stay." He kissed the side of her neck before he moved to get his food. The two sat in the kitchen filling up before they went back outside and played with their daughter and the other kids.

When the kids finally let Sam up from jumping on him, he headed to the kitchen with a chuckle to get the cake ready. He had brought a purple and pink cupcake cake, a half of sheet cake, and he got Ari's her own small one as well. He stuck the candle in it just as he heard Mercedes rounding everyone up in the kitchen. He took his cigarette lighter out of his pocket and lit it, smiling when he saw his daughter, " _Happy Birthday to you..._ " He started off singing.

" _Happy birthday to you..happy birthday dear Arianna..happy birthday to you.._ " Everyone sung in unison.

Arianna was giggling loudly as she watched everyone, not really knowing why they were singing or what they were saying.

"Lets blow out your candle sweetie." Mercedes said as she bent down, blowing a little, watching Ari do the same.

"Yay.." Everyone clapped for her, many taking pictures. They wished her a happy birthday again as they walked by and grabbed some dessert.

Mercedes sat Arianna down on the counter and watched as she took her small hand and smashed it in her cake, stuffing it in her mouth. Mercedes smiled at her, taking pictures with her phone, "So adorable."

Sam laughed as he grabbed a fork, stealing some of the chocolate goodness, stuffing it in his mouth just like his daughter did.

Mercedes shook her head at him, "You spoiled her Sam Evans."

"Mhm." He winked at her, leaning over to kiss his daughter's forehead, "She's my baby girl." He looked up with smile, leaning up to kiss her, "I like to spoil my babies."

Mercedes giggled against his lips, tasting the chocolate flavor cake, "Yeah you do." She kissed him again before she pulled back with a smile, moving his bangs out of his face. She was happy that they could be happy for their baby's birthday. Other problems that they were having, the could handle it when the time comes.

* * *

 **A/N. Last update for awhile! Not too long though, I promise. :)**


	5. A Trip To The Big Apple

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

After a successful party was thrown for his baby girl, Sam was thinking less and less about his job. During the weekend, he had ignored all calls from his manger, Brandon, wanting to get a clear mind before he talked to him but he couldn't ignore him any longer because here he was sitting right here in his kitchen.

"I promise I will not be long but we need to go over some things." Brandon said as he sat at the kitchen table in front of Sam.

Sam held Arianna his lap while Mercedes was upstairs, nodding to his manager, "Lets get started then."

Brandon nodded as he looked at him, "There are four teams that are interested in you and want you to come to visit." He slid Sam his phone so he could hear the voicemails, "Houston, Dallas, Arizona and New York..and of course Tampa is still trying to get you back."

"That's not happening." Sam said as he handed his daughter her small bowl of fruit loops, watching her place two in her mouth and chew on it happily. He placed the phone on the speaker and listened to the messages.

Mercedes ran her fingers through her hair as she walked to the kitchen, "Hey B." She said quietly as she sat in the chair beside Sam.

Brandon smiled and sent her a nod, "Hey Mercedes."

Arianna wiggled in her daddy's lap as she ate her dry cereal. Her face brightened when she saw Mercedes, reaching out for her with grabby hands.

Mercedes smiled as she grabbed her daughter from Sam's lap, kissing her forehead softly, she looked over to Sam as he listened to the messages, rocking herself and her daughter side to side.

Sam sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair, grunting lowly as he listened to Tampa's general manager lying ass plea. He pressed the delete button and looked up at Brandon, handing him back his phone, "When do I have to have a decision?"

"Before preseason starts is the best. It'll give you the whole summer to go visit and see where you want to be." Brandon said as he stood up from his seat.

"We're actually going to New York this weekend, so I can make a trip to see the coach."

"That's great." Brandon put that in his phone, "Keep me posted okay? Don't go making any rash decisions Sam." He gave the younger boy a warning.

Sam rolled his eyes, "Yes Brandon."

"Okay, see you guys later." He smiled before he headed out the kitchen and to the front door.

Sam sighed as he turned to Mercedes, "Where to you want to live at baby?"

Mercedes felt Arianna trying to wiggle out of her lap so she sat the one year old down to the floor and watched her walk over to Rocky. Turning back to her fiancé, "As long as I'm with you, it doesn't matter, Sammy. You pick where you feel like is the place for you."

"But I can't just pick for me babe. I have you, Ari, and Josh to think about." Sam sighed as he played with a place mate on the table.

"Baby.." Mercedes turned in her chair, grabbing his hands from the placemats and holding them into her own, "We will be fine wherever you choose to go." She ran her fingers through his hair as she leaned forward and pressed a kiss on his lips.

Sam kissed her back, bringing her forehead to rest on his, staring deeply into her eyes, "Okay."

Mercedes smiled as she kissed him again, letting it linger longer but was interrupted by a squeal coming from behind her.

Sam looked over her shoulder and fell into laughter.

Mercedes turned around to see what he was laughing at and she couldn't help but join in as she pulled out her phone to take a picture.

While her parents were talking, Arianna walked over to Rocky with a smile and climbed on top of his back, moving up to his neck, she bend her head down into the dog face and squealed when she found his big eyes staring back at her. She bursted into a fit of giggles as she looked at her parents.

"Our little girl is officially the cutest kid in America." Sam said as he gushed over his daughter.

"She is." Mercedes smiled as she stood up and went to the refrigerator, pulling out some things so she could start lunch, "Did you finish packing?"

"Yes. I actually did." Sam smiled proudly as he got up and went to her.

"Let me rephrase the question." She turned to him with a sly smirk, "What exactly did you pack?"

Sam rolled his eyes. Sam always has had a tendency to overpack when he went somewhere, causing Mercedes to redo his suitcase, "I packed clothes Mercedes." He murmured quietly as stood in front of her.

"Mhm..I'll go fix it now because our flight leaves in a couple of hours. I think you can mange fixing lunch for us." She called out as she headed up the stairs.

Sam sent a glare at her, looking down at his daughter who was walking to him, "Mommy's mean to your daddy."

Arianna smiled up at him as she turned back around to play with Rocky.

Sam shook his head letting out a laugh, moving around the kitchen, he made them all some lunch before they headed out.

* * *

The trip to New York was all about getting some things taken care of. Since Mercedes already had her dress for the wedding, she was actually there to find her bridesmaids dresses while Sam looked for his and the groomsmen suits. Before they left Tampa, Mercedes and Sam were having a beach wedding in July. Quinn have been busting her butt getting things done in the past couple of weeks. She wanted to absolute best for her friends.

Mercedes picked Arianna up when they were waiting for their luggage with Sam's bodyguards, Hammer and Vito close by. She could tell that her baby girl was irritated from her first plane ride and she couldn't help but smile. Smoothing her curls down, she looked at her, "You did so good Ari."

Arianna pouted as she laid her head down on her mommy's shoulder, closing her eyes.

Mercedes chuckled as she swayed from side to side, waiting for their luggage to come.

Sam smiled as he came up behind his fiancée, looking at their daughter with a laugh. He bent down and kissed her cheek, earning a wide grin from her, "Josh went to go hold up a taxi."

Mercedes nodded as she turned to the side, rolling her eyes at the obvious paparazzi lurking around, "They're relentless."

Sam sighed as he took his daughter from her, kissing Mercedes forehead softly. He pulled her close and whispered against her skin, "I know you hate it."

"I really do." She looked up at him with a frown, sighing, "But I know it's apart of our life. Even after four years, I still have to get use to it."

Sam leaned down to kiss her frown away, smiling a little as he grabbed her hand with his free hand once he heard the machine going for their luggage.

Once they got their things, Sam kept his small family close as they exited out of the airport in search for Josh. Finding him, they walked to the cab truck and got in while the luggage was being placed in. Sam looked down at Arianna and saw that his baby girl was fast asleep, "She didn't waste no time."

Mercedes chuckled as she looked over at them, buckling up, "I expected it." She leaned over and kissed her daughter's forehead, "She stayed up the whole time."

Sam smiled as he looked at her, "She just makes me so happy you know.."

Mercedes smiled as she kissed his lips tenderly, "Same here." She sat back in her seat looking at the two with a bright smile on her face as the cab finally started moving.

* * *

When they made it to the hotel, they settled in smoothly in their room, ordered room service and decided to stay in for the rest of the night.

"Quinn texted me to let me know that everyone has made it and we're going to leave at ten tomorrow morning." Mercedes said as she sat her phone on the night stand, looking at her fiancé as he laid their daughter down in the bed with them.

Sam nodded as he got into the bed, "Do you want me to take Ari with us?"

"No, she has to get her dress too." Mercedes said as she watched her daughter crawled up on Sam with a smile.

"Well, I'll just leave my card so you can get y'all dresses." Sam said as he picked Ari up, holding her in the air.

"No babe..you don't have to pay for them, it's already taken care of." Mercedes bit down on her lip as she stood up from the bed.

"Already taken care of?" Sam looked at her confusedly, "Mercedes Jones, I swear if you spend your money on your dress.."

"No..no." She stopped him as she headed to her suitcase, "I already have my dress." She pulled out a shirt to toss on, "You know how it kind of tradition that the father pay for his daughter's dress..well you know mines not but Micah paid for it and before you go haywire, I didn't ask him too, he wanted to do it."

Sam sighed as he looked at her. He knew Mercedes was still hurt by her father actions and he didn't blame her. He for one was not going to let Michael ruin their day, "Fine but I'll pay for Ari's."

Mercedes nodded as she walked over to him, pressing a small kiss on his lips, "I love you."

"I love you more." He smiled up at her before he felt Arianna wiggling out of his arms.

"So, when are you going to visit the coach?"

"Brandon scheduled a visit for Sunday morning." Sam said as he stood up to pull the covers back, "I kind of met him already at the banquet last year."

"Yeah, what's his name.." Mercedes snapped her fingers trying to figure it out, "Rex, right?"

Sam chuckled at the serious look on her face but nodded, "Yeah."

"What? I know a little something." She smirked as she came back to the bed.

"Of course you do babe." He smiled at her, reaching for her hand, he kissed the back of it, "I can't wait to marry you."

Mercedes smiled as she ran her free hand over his cheek, "Me either baby." She kissed his lips softly, pulling back with laughter when she felt another pair of lips trying to join in.

Sam blew raspberries against her cheek, causing the little girl to giggle loudly.

Arianna grabbed Sam's face with her hands, her hazel eyes staring directly into his green ones, yawning tiredly.

Sam smiled at his daughter as she looked at him. Kissing her lightly on the nose, he sat her in between him and Cedes, pulling the cover over her, "Night night.."

Mercedes smiled at them before she leaned over and turned off the lamp, getting under the cover as before drifted off the sleep.

* * *

Vito stayed close by to Mercedes and the girls as they walked towards Kleinfeld. Opening the door for them with a smile, he looked at Mercedes, "I'm close by if you need me."

Mercedes nodded with a smile as she balanced Arianna in her arms, "Thanks V."

"I'm one call away Mercedes and I'm going to go get a bite to eat across the street." He held up his phone and pointed to the café. His job was to make sure that her and Arianna stayed safe and if anything happened to them, Sam would without a doubt kill him.

Mercedes rolled her eyes but nodded anyways, "Yes Vito. I'll call when we are halfway done." She gave him a reassuring smile before she entered the building.

"Mercedes Jones?" A lady called out for her with a small smile gracing her lips, "You're party is already in the back waiting for you."

"Thank you ma'am." Mercedes smiled as she walked towards them. Sitting on the couch, she let her excited daughter down and watched as she walked over to Stephanie.

"Hi my name is Angie and I'm going to be your consultant today." The young girl smiled as she looked at the big group, eyes scanning to Mercedes, "You must be the bride?"

"I am.." Mercedes smiled as she shook her hand, "Mercedes."

Angie took her hand with a big smile, "So what can I do for you ladies today?"

"I'm here to find my girls bridesmaids dresses." Brittany, Tina, Giselle, Stacey, Stephanie, Mariana were all going to be bridesmaids and of course her maid of honor was Quinn.

"Have any idea what you want?"

"Short and a taupe color."

"Alright, I'll go pull a couple different styles and I'll be right back." She smiled before she went to the back.

"Mercedes?"

"Yes sweetheart." Mercedes turned to Stacey, who was watching as Ari go back to her.

"Are you going to get Ari's dress today too?"

"I am actually." Mercedes stood up from the couch with a smile, grabbing her daughter's hand and Quinn's six year old daughter, Bailey, as well. Her and Arianna were going to be flower girls in the wedding.

"Okay ladies..I have four different style dresses in the dressing room for you and it's numbered in order, so go ahead." Angie smiled as she watched the women head to the back, turning back to Mercedes, she looked at the carmel skin girl in her arms and down at the shorter blonde, "And I'm guessing we need to find these little cuties a flower girl dress?" Angie gestured for Mercedes to follow her to the children's section.

* * *

"Ouch.." Sam winced with a pout as the tailor accidentally stuck him with the pin. Just like Mercedes, Sam had already brought his suit. Today he was just getting it tailored correctly.

The older woman rolled her eyes, "Dios mío Mr. Samuel. If you would be still like I asked you to, I wouldn't have stuck you."

"I'm sorry Rosie." He pouted, glaring at his groomsmen for laughing at him, "Lets see who has the last laugh when y'all get up here." Sighing as he looked in the mirror, he had to admit that he looked damned good and the suit fitted perfectly. He smiled when Rosie said he was finished, stepping off the step, he headed to the dressing room and got redressed in his street clothes. Hanging the suit back on the hanger, he gave it to the girl to take it back to the back. Plopping down on the big white couch, he watched as the rest of the went to go change.

"Uncle Sammy?"

Sam turned to the side when he heard the small voice, smiling as he watched him climb on his lap, "Yeah buddy?"

"Am I going to get a suit too?" Austin big brown eyes stared into Sam's green one.

"Of course you are." He tickled his sides, "You're going to look oh so handsome and you are going to be the best ring barrier ever."

Austin smiled brightly at him, "Yay.."

Sam chuckled at his excitement, kissing the little boy's cheek. He looked up when he saw the guys come back out.

Josh game him a nod, "I'm digging this color Mercedes picked out for the wedding." He turned to the mirror, flashing himself a smile, "This taupe looks damn good on me."

"For real though." Stevie said as he turned to his big brother, "What'd you think?"

Sam took in all six of his groomsmen with a smile, "Y'all look good."

"Aww thanks bae." Puck sent him a wink before he turned around so the tailor could adjust their suits.

Sam shook his head and let out a laugh. Seeing his phone vibrating, he smiled when he saw Mercedes calling him. Clicking on the FaceTime button, he smiled when he saw her face, "Hey sweetheart."

"Hi Aunt Cedes.." Austin said as he cuddled up into Sam's side trying to get in the view.

"Hey boys." Mercedes smiled at them, "Are you boys done yet?"

"Almost." Sam answered with a smile, "How about y'all?"

Mercedes looked over at her bridesmaids and nodded, "Yes. I found the right one for them and they all look amazing."

"That's great baby." Sam smirked at her, "What about Arianna?"

"Babe..I can't wait for you to see her. She's going to look so adorable." Mercedes let a wide grin take over her features, "What about Austin?"

"Aunt Cedes I'm getting a suit too." He gave her a toothless smile.

Mercedes gasped, "Are you really?" Smiling when he nodded enthusiastically, "I can't wait to see my little man in a suit."

Sam smiled down at him, looking up when Mike called for Austin. He watched as the little boy happily ran to his father so he could go try on his suit. Sam tuned back to his fiancée with a dreamy smile, "I seriously can't wait for our wedding say."

"Me either babe." Mercedes stared back at him, "Literally can't wait." She looked back when she heard Quinn calling her, turning back to Sam, "I'll see you back at the room, okay? Love you."

"Love you more." He said before he ended the call, standing up with a content smile on his lips.

* * *

After an eventful Saturday with their friends, Sam and Mercedes had dinner with them that night and retired to go the bed early since Sam had to make a trip to New Jersey in the A.M. Sam woke up the next morning early, leaving kisses on the cheek for both of his sleeping girls.

He thanked Vito when he opened the door for him, sitting in the back, he closed the door and pulled out his phone for the short route. Sam sat back and closed his eyes to take a quick cat nap.

Thirty minutes later, they were pulling up to the building. Vito parked the truck and turned off the engine, "Need me to come with you boss?"

"No, I'm good." Sam smiled at him before he opened up the door to get out. He shut the door and started to make his way to the building. He smiled as he was greeted by the receptionist, "Good morning. My name is Sam Evans and I have a meeting with-"

"We've been expecting you." She smiled, gesturing to the elevators, "Third floor, keep walking straight and you'll run into a humongous conference room."

"Thank you." Sam pushed off the counter and walked to the elevator, pushing the button, he stepped in and when the doors open and pressed the third floor. He hummed along to the familiar song that was playing inside the elevator until it came to a stop to the correct floor. Stepping off, he followed the directions the receptionist gave him. Seeing a man already sitting and waiting, he knocked on the already open door.

The mystery man stood up with a huge smile on his face, "Sam Evans, it's a pleasure to finally meet you." He walked over and shook his hand, "Hank Calhoun, I'm the GM."

"Nice to meet you sir." Sam shook his hand back.

"Coach sends his apologies. His son is sick with the flu so it's just us today." He gestured for Sam to follow him and have a seat, "I'm going to be real with you here Sam, we want you here in New York. News travels fast and I know why you backed out."

"Then you understand why I did what I did?" Sam asked as he sat up straight in his chair, "Since news travels fast like you say it do then I going to be straight honest with you. You're not the only team that wants me. With all due respect sir, I'm going to tell you what I'm going tell every other GM. If any other organization is going to pull that type of shit that Tampa pulled, then I'm not your guy. I'm not going to go around calling a bounty on a team, no matter how bad I want to win. Football is already a dangerous sport but doing extra excessive hitting, someone can get seriously hurt and what people fail to realize, they have a family to take care of. Another reason why I pulled out is because I have to look after my family also. I have a fiancée and one year daughter at home. And they come before any of this."

Hank had to admit, he was impressed. He knew from talk Sam was a very strong-willed and considerate young man, he liked that, "Sam, if you decide to come here, you wouldn't have to worry about that. We would never and have never called anything on another team." When he nodded, he moved some papers around on the desk, "This is was my team is offering you. If you come here you'll be a second string quarterback with a four year contract, eighty thousand dollars per game, which is a five point one million dollars for four years. The best part about being here too, during the season, you won't spend so much time on the road. Our schedules are always set up to where we have more home games."

Sam was trying to process everything he was saying, ears perking up when he heard that they would mostly play their games at home interested him. He loved his job but he loved his family more and any opportunity to be with them more, he would take it and plus, the four year contract sounded good because it's giving him a chance to really feel and see if New York is where he wants him and his family to be for the rest of their lives, "This all sounds really good and I definitely will keep everything in mind."

Hank nodded with a smile as she stood up, sticking out his hand, "Can't wait for your decision. Whatever it is, I wish you nothing but success."

Sam gripped the older man's hand, letting out a crooked grin, "Thank you sir for meeting with me. You have a wonderful rest of the day." He patted his shoulder before he walked out of the room with a content smile on his face. Three more places to go he thought as he got on the elevator.

* * *

 **A/N. So what did you think? Love Samcedes and Arianna, sweet moments with them are always needed. Do you think Sam will take the offer in New York or will he choose another place? I know I said I was about to take a break but I think I done enough of those, lmao. :)**


	6. One Calm Night

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

The last two weeks of June were very hectic for both Sam and Mercedes. Since they left New York, Mercedes, the girls and guys headed back to Tampa to finish preparing for the wedding while Sam headed to Texas and Arizona to meet with the coaches.

Quinn held onto her clipboard and phone as she directed to movers around in the backyard, making sure they had everything in place for the reception. She had sent Tina and Giselle over to the beach to make sure that they had the chairs and everything sat up correctly.

Mercedes walked down the steps that led to the backyard with Ari in her arms. Seeing tables being sat up and lights being hung, it finally hit her that this was really happening, "Looks beautiful already."

Quinn turned to her friend with a smile, "Just wait until you see it tomorrow night."

Mercedes smiled at her, looking down at the little girl in her arms that was squirming, pointing her finger to Rocky. Mercedes let out a low chuckle as she sat Ari down to her feet, watching her walk over and sit by the dog.

"How do you feel?" Quinn asked as she moved closer to her friend.

Mercedes bit down on her lip, "Excited..nervous..but mostly excited."

"Just think about it this way.." Quinn wrapped an arm around her best friend, looking out towards the lake, "You're going to be Mrs. Samuel Evans tomorrow..no more Mercedes Jones."

Mercedes smiled at that, "Yeah..been waiting for awhile now."

"Well the wait is over." Quinn smiled as she looked at her, she was about to speak until one of the worker called for her.

Mercedes walked over to where her daughter and Rocky were, smoothing down her dress as she sat on the step beside her.

Sam sat his keys down on the table, heading towards the kitchen. He had just gotten back from Texas and he was tired. But, he was also excited because he was marrying the love of his life tomorrow and he couldn't wait. Looking outside through the window, he smiled when he saw his daughter laying on top of Rocky. Opening the screen door, he walked over and sat beside Mercedes, kissing her cheek softly.

Mercedes smiled as she turned to him, "You're back.."

Sam nodded as he wrapped an around around her waist, pulling her to the side so he could place his head in her neck, pressing small kisses onto her smooth skin, "Are you ready for this?"

"I am." She leaned in and kissed his lips softly, pulling back with a grin, "I love you so much."

"Love you more baby." Sam moved her hair from her face and kissed her again, chuckling when he felt a small pair of hands on his cheeks. Looking down at the culprit, he picked up his giggling daughter and attacked her face in kisses.

"Papa said that he was taking the kids tonight.."

Sam smiled at the name Mercedes called his dad. Sitting his daughter in his lap, he turned to her, "Yeah..he has planned this whole fun night for them upstairs."

Mercedes smiled before she raised a brow, "And what are you and the boys doing tonight?"

"I don't really know, Josh's planning it." He looked over at Mercedes with a smirk.

Mercedes rolled her eyes as she stood up, "It is your last night single but don't let that shit get to your head." She leaned down and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips before she went over to Quinn.

"Trust me, I wouldn't dream of doing anything with anyone that's not you." He murmured across her lips before she left. Feeling his daughter squirming, he looked down and saw her get off him and go back over to Rocky.

* * *

Dwight smiled as he held his granddaughter in his arms. He was so excited that his son was marrying the love of his life tomorrow. Mercedes was everything he wanted in a daughter in law. The love she had for his son was absolutely amazing.

"Okay Papa.." Mercedes said as she dragged her luggage outside to Giselle's car, "You call if you need anything.."

"Mercedes, I've raised four kids on my own. I think I can handle a one year old." Dwight chuckled at her but understood her concern.

"Right..sorry." Mercedes giggled before she went over and hugged him. She smile at her daughter, pressing a kiss to her forehead, "I'll see you tomorrow baby girl. I love you." She leaned up and kissed Dwight's cheek before she got into the car, "I love you, Papa. See you tomorrow."

"Love you too." Dwight waved at her, looking down at his granddaughter, he sat her to her feet and grabbed her hand, "Lets go inside."

* * *

Sam chuckled as he leaned back in the chair in the living room. Honestly, he was legit scared of what Josh was going to plan for his bachelor party but he was met with a surprise. Instead of doing something wild like he planned out years ago, Josh opted out for a nice night at the house. He ordered pizza and brought beer while they just engaged into a poker game and conversation.

"How do you feel about tomorrow?" Jake asked as he looked at his hand of cards.

Sam smiled as he sipped some down his beer, "I'm excited man. I've been waiting for this for forever."

"We all have." Artie chuckled as he threw out a card.

"That's so true." Mike said as he bit into his slice of pizza, "You and Mercy are meant to be together."

"I'll never forget the day I knew you two were going to date." Josh said as he sat up in his chair with a smirk, "I was suppose to meet Mercedes in the library for my morning tutoring session. I came in at the tail end of their conversation. The way both of you were close to each other, I could've sworn you was going to have sex right then."

"TMI." Stevie called out from the couch, flipping through the channels since the men wouldn't let him in on the card game nor let him drink.

"How about that time when Sam threw that Hail Mary to Mercedes on the field?" Puck laughed at the memory, "Talk about implausible sexual tension after the fact."

"Wait. You threw a Hail Mary to Mercedes? Did she catch it?" Jake asked with a curious tone.

"Did she?" The group answered together with a laugh.

"She caught that ball better than any pro wide receiver and really better than Puck use to do." Artie quipped.

"To be honest, she really did." Puck laughed as he grabbed some chips and stuffed them in his mouth, "I still congratulate her brother and Mike for putting that toughness in her."

Mike shook his head with a smile, throwing out a card from his hand to the middle of the table, "Nah, Mercedes been tough all along. We just brought that sporty chick out of her."

Sam smiled at the talk of his almost wife, "Yeah..she's something special." He turn around when he heard little feet against the hardwood, sitting his cards on the table, he smiled when he saw his daughter running to him, "Did you escape from grandpa?"

"She's so cute." Jake said as he looked at Arianna.

"Isn't she though?" Josh said as he smiled at his niece.

Arianna smiled, showcasing her four little teeth. At the mention of her grandpa, she giggled and looked behind her.

"We're about to take it in for the night." Dwight said as he crossed his arms, leaning against the doorframe, "Austin and Bailey are already asleep."

Mike and Puck nodded their heads at the mention of their kids.

Sam stood up and picked his daughter up, throwing her up in the air, her squeals filling up the room. He kissed her cheek lovingly before he handed her back to his dad, "Love you so much."

Dwight happily took her back, "Y'all have a good night. Don't stay up too late."

"Yes sir." They replied in unison.

"Thanks dad."

"Don't thank me Sam." He smiled as he turned around and headed up the stairs, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Sam smiled before he turned around, "Alright, lets get back to this game."

* * *

"Mmm.." Mercedes moaned out in content as the lady pressed down on her lower back. Quinn had planned her a simple bachelorette party. She had booked them a hotel room, ordered Chinese food, and called masseuses for all the girls, "God Q..you sure know how to maaake a girl feel special." She said through her moans as the masseuse moved up to her neck.

Quinn smiled at her best friend as she sat back in her robe on the couch, "Only the best for you my love."

Mercedes smiled as she looked over to her. Her eyes traveled over to the other girls and she chuckled seeing that they were enjoying this just like she was.

"Are you excited about tomorrow Mercedes?" Stacey asked as she watched the older women get a massage.

"Better question.." Stephanie started as she painted her sister's nails a nude color for the wedding, "Are you sure you want to marry my brother?"

Mercedes chuckled before she looked over to Stacey, "To answer your question, I'm very excited. And to answer you question Steph, I'm very sure I want to marry Sam. He's the love of my life and I couldn't imagine life without him."

"Awww." Giselle, Tina, and Mariana said in unison.

Mercedes giggled as she sat up on the table, covering her breast with her arm, she smiled over at the lady, "Thank you so much." She hoped off the table and headed to the room to throw on a shirt. Seeing her phone on the charger, she saw she had a few missed text messages. Picking up the phone, she scroll down and saw Dwight had text her a picture of Ari. She smiled as she saved it to her camera roll. Scrolling down, she sighed at the sweet messages from Sam. Since they wouldn't see each other until the wedding, the only thing they were allowed to do was text. Quinn and Josh had forbidden them talk on the phone. Sending him a quick reply back, she sat her phone back on the dresser and went back out to her girls.

"So Mercedes.." Giselle started as she handed her a box of noodles, dumplings and some chopsticks, "What ever happened with Santana?"

Mercedes hands froze on the box just as the room got silent, questionable eyes looking at her. She cleared her throat as she broke apart the chopsticks and placed it in the noodles.

"I'm sorry, I shou-.."

"No it's okay." She gave the girl a slight smile, "I guess I don't know what happen to her. One minute we're good, the next we're not. I haven't seen or spoken to her since she 'apologized' to Sam at my baby shower." Mercedes shrugged as she placed some of the noodles in her mouth, chewing and swallowing the delicious food, "At this point, I really don't care about it. There's no point in dwelling on anymore."

"Amen to that." Tina said with a small smile, "You and Sam don't need any negativity in your life."

"That's true." Quinn said as she laid her head on Mercedes's shoulder, pushing her fork over her dumplings.

"If she knows what's good for her, she'll stay away." Stephanie said with frown.

"Enough about her." Mariana said with a roll of her eyes. It was no secret that Mariana hated Santana every since that shit she pulled with Sam and Mercedes in high school, "We're not going to spend Mercedes bachelorette party talking about that bitch."

"You're right, I'm sorry for even bringing it up." Giselle said with a sad smile.

"No, it's okay." Mercedes gave her a reassuring smile, "It's done and over with. I completely wash my hands with her and pretty much my father also.."

"You're starting fresh..making new memories with the ones who love you and will always be there for you no matter." Stacey said quietly as she looked at Mercedes.

Everyone turned to the young girl with a smile. Mercedes nodded as she looked at Stacey, "Amen."

Sam peeped around the corner, seeing everyone still at the table, he snuck away and hid in one of the guest rooms downstairs. He was having a great time at his bachelor party but he was just missing one thing. His fiancée. He hated that Josh and Quinn had enforce this no talking rule for them. Being the rebel that he was, he was going to break that little rule. He dialed Mercedes's number and put the phone to his ear.

Mercedes was laughing at the TV screen when she heard her phone ring in the bathroom, unwrapping herself from Quinn, she got up out the bed and headed to get it, closing the door behind her. She grabbed the phone and laughed when she saw who it was, sliding the answer button, "You are so disobedient.."

"You know me baby." Sam smirked as he heard her angelic laughter, sitting down on the bed, letting out a sigh, "I just wanted to her your voice."

"Aww, are you missing me Sam Evans?" She whispered into the phone, making sure Quinn wouldn't hear her.

"I am, I really am." He pouted through the phone.

"Well I miss you too baby but we'll see each other tomorrow and it's going to be so worth it." Mercedes smiled as she looked into the mirror.

"It will be.." Sam sighed as he looked into the mirror that was on the wall, jumping when he heard banging on the door.

"SAM! You better not be talking to Mercedes.."

"Shit, that's Josh. I got to go baby." He said quickly as he got off the bed, "Goodnight and goodbye Mercedes Jones, I love you."

Mercedes smile deepen as she hid her face behind her hand, "Goodnight baby, love you more." She hung up the phone and looked at herself, "Oh god..I'm getting married tomorrow."

* * *

 **A/N. I had someone ask me why am I continuing with this story that doesn't have a lot followers or favs. Okay, one, I'm really not looking for that. I love writing and if it's just me reading it, oh well. If someone wants to read it than hey come on, you're welcome to join but I can't and won't make anyone read anything if they don't want too. ANYWAYS, this update was short but to the point. Would love to know what you guys think. :)**


	7. United As One

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **WARNING: EMOTIONAL SOBBING.**

* * *

Sam sighed as he covered his eyes, the light from the window blaring down in his face. He rolled over with a grunt and looked at his clock, seeing it was a little after nine, he removed the covers from off of him and got up with a big smile on his face as he walked to the bathroom. Today was the day he has been waiting for for years. He went in the bathroom and did his morning routine before heading down the stairs. When he rounded the corner, he saw that everyone was in kitchen laughing and eating the breakfast he guessed his dad cooked. He leaned against the doorframe and watched closely for a moment, eyes darting around the room as he saw Bailey and Austin sitting by their dads. He looked and chuckled when he saw his own daughter with her Uncle Stevie, her wild black curls still ruffled from bed. He smiled when he saw her put some of her bite sized pancakes in Stevie's mouth before putting some in hers also.

"You're going to stuff me." Stevie laughed at his niece as he swallowed the rest of the pancakes.

Sam pushed of the doorframe and walked into the kitchen, "Morning everybody."

"Morning Sam.." Everybody said in unison.

"Good morning Uncle Sammy." Austin and Bailey said with matching smiles.

Dwight smiled as he handed his son a clean plate, "Here you go."

"Thank you." Sam smiled as he grabbed the plate, going around the counter, stacking it up with pancakes, meats and an omelet.

"Are you excited to be marrying Aunt Mercy?" Bailey asked as she looked at him with bright eyes.

"I am super excited." Sam smiled at the little girl, sitting his plate down at the table. He walked over to his little girl and kissed her cheek before he sat down.

Mariana opened the door to the front door, closing it behind her as she heard commotion coming from the kitchen. She smiled as she walked to the kitchen, "Morning everyone." She walked over to Sam and handed him a small box, "This is from Mercedes and I'm also here to collect the girls."

Sam swallowed his food as he took the box, getting up from his seat, "I have something for her too."

Bailey stood up from the table and sat her dish in the sink, going over to Stevie, she picked Arianna up with a small grunt and took her to the living room to grab her shoes.

Sam chuckled when he passed Bailey and Ari, handing the small box to Mariana, "Make sure she gets this."

"I will." She smiled as she looked at him, "See you guys there."

"See you later.." Sam said as he sat back down and started to unwrap the box.

"Y'all need to go ahead and start getting ready..We gotta be out of here by eleven." Dwight said as he made his way up the back stairs.

Sam watched as everyone left out to get ready before he opened his gift. Seeing a folded piece of paper, he opened it and smile with he saw the familiar handwriting.

 _God, where do I begin? Well, I would start from the beginning but some of that is going to be in my vows, spoiler alert lol. I know you don't like me spending money on you but I promise it's something really small. See you at the alter my love._

Sam moved the tissue paper around and chuckled lowly when he picked up the item. In his hands was a white handkerchief that said _Hurry up and be my husband alread_ y, "She's so cute." He whispered to himself as he sat it back into the box with a smile. This was going to be a really good day.

* * *

Mercedes sat back on the couch with her hair and makeup all done, watching as the girls got ready. Today was her wedding day and she was full of different emotions. But one thing she knew for sure, she couldn't wait to marry her best friend and the love of her life. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, letting the chatter in the room put her into an unexpected nap.

"Mercedes...Mercedes..."

Mercedes opened her eyes and adjusted them to the bright light. She sat up in the bed and was dumbfounded to find the hotel room empty. _Where did everyone go?_ She wondered in her head. Her head snapped to the door when it opened, causing her to jump slightly when she saw a woman making her way in. Her eyes scanned her face and her heart immediately dropped. The memories she had as a small child swarming into her head at once. All the pictures from the photo albums. She was going crazy. There was no way in hell this was happening.

"You're not going crazy baby girl." The woman smiled as she walked closer, taking a seat beside her on the bed, she turned her body to her.

Mercedes covered her mouth as she felt tears well up in her eyes, not believing what she was seeing, "Mommy?"

The woman nodded and held out her arms with a warm smile, "It's me sweetie."

Without hesitation, Mercedes leaned over and hugged her tightly, letting out a sad, loud wail, "But..how?"

"I kind of ask the big man for a favor." She chuckled lightly as she pulled back, "You have grown into a beautiful young lady."

"Thank you.." She said quietly as she stared at her, "I miss you so much mom, you have no idea."

"I know sweetie but I'm always with you, never forget that." She smiled at her as she rubbed her cheek, "Arianna is beautiful by the way, a spitting image of her mother."

Mercedes smiled as she tucked her hair behind her ear, "Thanks mom. I really wish you could meet her."

"I do too sweetheart." She sighed as she continue to look at her daughter, taking her hands in hers, "That father of yours..I just don't know."

Mercedes rolled her eyes at that, "I'm absolutely done with him mom. There's only so much I can take. He says he has changed and he wants to be in Arianna's life but I'm not about to set my daughter up for disappointment like I was and sure as hell not about to have her around someone who doesn't like her father."

"I understand sweetie." She rubbed circles on Mercedes hands, sighing, "I don't know what happen with Michael but that's not the man I knew and loved." She shook her head and looked behind her, she looked back at her daughter and smiled sadly, "I have to go.."

"No." Mercedes felt her eyes starting to water, holding on to her mother's hands tightly, "I don't want you to leave me again.."

"I'm sorry baby. I only had a few minutes but I promise I'm always going to be with you.." She whispered as she moved her hair from her face, touching the necklace that was around her neck, "I can't tell you what exactly is going to happen in the future but I can tell you to be prepared. Never lose your trust in Sam baby girl, that man loves you more than anything in the world. I'm so glad he's with you. Have a beautiful wedding baby girl, you're going to be absolutely breathtaking. I'll be there in spirit like always, guiding you and your brother as much as I possibly can. I love you Mercedes."

"I love you too mommy.." She cried softly when she felt her hands let go hers. She looked at her, her tears blurring her vision before she vanished.

"Mercedes..Mercedes.."

Mercedes took a deep breath as she opened her eyes, noticing quickly that she was still in the room but back to where she was before she slip into her sleep.

"Are you okay sweetie?" Karen asked as she notice the tears on her step-daughter's face.

Mercedes nodded as she wiped her face as stood up, "Yeah, I'm okay.." She looked around the room and found Arianna on the floor. She bent down and picked her up, hugging her closely, "I love you so much sweet girl."

Arianna smiled as her mother hugged her, letting out a small squeal.

"Oh before I forget.." Mariana said as she stood up with a box in her hands, giving it to Mercedes.

Mercedes placed Arianna on the floor, chuckling as the little girl ran to her Aunt Stacey. Mercedes opened the box and saw the small note in there.

 _To my beautiful soon to be wife,_

 _You know I could've went all out for this gift but you made me promise not to so I actually listen to you this time. I brought you something that's really going to be useful. So make sure you use it because I'm going to be kissing the daylights out of you. See you at the alter my love."_

Mercedes bit down on her lip as she moved the tissue paper around. She covered her mouth to stop the loud laughter that was trying to escape. In the box was two tubes of cherry chapstick that had a note on them that said _Use Me._

"We have fifteen minutes ladies.." Karen called out as she helped Tina zip up her dress.

For the bridesmaids dresses, Mercedes had picked out a short light taupe infinity wrap dress. Since Quinn was the maid of honor, she had the same dress but hers was strapless instead of the one-shoulder strap like the other girls. Their makeup was natural while their hair was braided into a fishtail. Since it was a beach wedding, Mercedes had came up with a unique idea for what to where on their feet. She had brought everyone a pair of clear jeweled barefoot sandals.

Mercedes looked at them and nodded, "You guys look beautiful." She smiled when they all said thank you.

"Alright.." Quinn said as she walked over and grabbed Arianna from Stacey, looking back at Mercedes, "You need to get your dress on."

Mercedes nodded as she turned to Stephanie with a soft smile, "Would you help me please?"

Stephanie smiled as she got up from the couch and walked over to her soon to be sister-in-law. She picked the bag to from the bed and followed her into the bathroom. About three minutes later, Mercedes came back out with a bright smile when she heard them gasp.

"Oh my god, you look amazing Mercedes." Brittany said as she felt her eyes starting to water.

"Don't you dare start crying.." Mercedes chuckled as she looked at her, fanning her hands over her eyes.

Tina pouted as she wiped underneath her eyes. Her friend was truly breathtaking and all she wanted to do was burst out in tears because of it.

"I'm going to be so mad if y'all ruin your makeup." The makeup artist said with a smile on her face.

"Sorry Chrissy but you're going to be pissed." Giselle said with a watery laugh.

"Everyone dry those tears.." Karen said as she walked up to Mercedes with a smile, holding out a necklace, "This use to be my grandmother's necklace. I wore it for my first wedding and she wanted to pass it down to my Mariana when she got married. But since you're doing it first, I want you to wear it. This is your something old."

Mercedes wiped her eye carefully as she leaned forward and hugged her, "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome sweetheart." She said as she pulled back, quickly placing it on before she moved aside.

"My turn.." Stacey said excitedly as she moved towards her, "Okay, so I really didn't know how this whole thing worked but I brought you something new. It's a sister ring. Me and Stephanie have one and it just feels right that you should too." Stacey said softly as she slid the ring on Mercedes right ring finger, hugging her closely.

Mercedes felt like her here was going to burst when Stacey said that. She kissed her cheek after letting her go, thanking her.

Tina gave Mercedes the same bracelet she wore for her wedding for something that is borrowed and for something blue, Brittany gave her a pair of blue starfish stud earrings. They collected themselves and finished doing last minute touch ups before they headed downstairs to the lobby.

* * *

Sam button up his suit jacket as he made his way to the sidewalk. He looked at the space on the beach and saw people getting into their seats. He turned and gave his dad a small smile when he patted his shoulder.

"You ready for this son?" Dwight asked as he stood in front of Sam and straighten out his tie.

Sam smiled at his dad and nodded, "More than anything."

Dwight smiled as he stepped back, placing his hands in his pocket, "I just want you to know how proud I am of you son. You have come a long ways in your life and I couldn't be more proud. I'm going to give you a little advice. Marriage isn't going to be easy but don't let that scare you. The love that you have for her, let it outweigh all the negative. Never forget that my boy."

Sam nodded as he hugged him, "I love you dad."

"I love you too son." Dwight hugged him back tightly before patting his back. He let go and nodded towards the beach, "Lets get this show on the road."

Sam chuckled as he followed behind his dad, walking down the steps carefully as the cool sand went between his toes. He greeted some of their close friends and family as he walked to the front. He shook the preacher's hand before moving to right side of him. He watched closely as the groomsmen and bridesmaids came down the aisle. He had to admit, everyone looked good.

Josh patted Sam's shoulder as he stood behind him, "Nervous?"

"You have no idea.." Sam whispered as he turned back to the aisle way. His heart immediately began to swell up when he saw his little girl.

Bailey and Arianna had a really fun and cute outfit. Instead of traditional flower girl dresses, they were dressed in a white bodysuit with a scoop neck and the bottom part was covered over with an taupe colored tutu. And to make them even more adorable than they already were, they had a flower halo headband on their hair which contained flowers that matched. Bailey smiled as she held Arianna's hand, helping the little girl throw some flower petals down.

Arianna was fascinated by the flowers in the basket. She tore her attention away for just a minute, looking around at all the people who were staring at her. Her brown eyes lit up once she saw her father. She dropped her small basket, leaving Bailey in the process as she wobbly ran to her daddy.

The crowd aww'd and laughed at the little girl. Sam laughed as he picked the giggling toddler up, kissing her cheek, "You look so pretty Ari.." He smiled as the little girl sent him one back, laying her head down on his shoulder. Sam held out his fist for Bailey to pound. Bailey happily pounded her fist against her uncle's before moving over to stand beside her mother. He smiled again when he saw Austin coming down slowly with the ring pillow in his hands.

"Please rise..." The officiant said, waiting for everyone to stand and turn.

Micah straighten out his jacket as he waited for his little sister. He couldn't believe she was getting married today. And to top it off, he was giving her away. It meant so much to him that he was doing this. He didn't hesitate to tell her yes when she ask. His father was a complete asshole and that was never going to change. He treated Mercedes like shit and he was so happy that he wasn't here today. Hearing his name, he turned around and his mouth dropped, "Oh wow..you look absolutely beautiful Mercedes."

"Thank you." Mercedes smiled at his reaction, she hugged him before pulling back, "You don't look too bad yourself.."

Micah chuckled as he looked at her, sobering up, "Mom would be so proud of you."

Mercedes sighed as she felt her eyes glisten with tears, nodding her head, "That's all I want to do is make her proud."

"And she is, I know she is so don't you start crying." He laughed softly as he wiped her ushered tears. He heard the officiant and turned to Mercedes, holding out his arm, "Ready?"

"More than anything.." She smiled as she wrapped her arm around his and began walking down the steps and into the sand.

Sam balanced Arianna in his arms with a smile. She didn't want to go over there with the girls but that was fine with him. He didn't mind holding his little girl. He looked over and saw Mercedes coming and his mouth immediately drop as tears began to form when he saw her.

Mercedes held on to Micah's arm tightly as they made it down, she smiled at some of the guest but then her focus went to Sam. She couldn't help but smile at his reaction. Mercedes was a type of girl who really didn't like nothing fancy and extravagant. Her wedding dress was very simple but beautiful. She had on a white floor length spaghetti strap lace and chiffon dress with a backless back. She was a little iffy about that part at first but everyone reassured her that it was perfect. Her makeup was natural just like everyone else and she let Stacey do her hair. She had did a beach wave style with the curling wand and took some of her hair and braided it into a halo.

Jeremy patted Sam's back to make sure he was breathing. He chuckled lowly as he continued to look on. He was on cloud nine right now for his friends. No one deserved this more than they did.

Sam felt Josh's pat but he couldn't pay any attention to it right now. She was absolutely beautiful..no, she was breathtaking. He didn't even realize he was crying until he felt his daughter's small hand wiping away his tears.

Mercedes saw the gesture that Ari did and all bets were off. She felt her own tears sliding down her face. It wasn't long before they were standing in front of them.

"And who so graciously give this woman away?"

"I do.." Micah choked out before turning to his sister. He kissed her forehead before letting go and headed to his seat.

Mercedes smiled at her brother when he kissed her forehead. She turned back to Sam with a watery grin.

Sam smiled as he grabbed her hand and pulled her in front of him, whispering, "You look stunning.."

Mercedes smiled as she stood in front of him, whispering back, "And you look handsome."

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8." He looked up at everyone and smiled, "We are gathered here today to celebrate a special union and cherish to beautiful moment that will unite Sam and Mercedes in marriage." Sam smiled at Mercedes as he rocked Arianna from side to side, "Marriage is a promise between two people who love each other deeply. Two people who trust in their love, honor each other as individuals and vow to spend the rest of their lives together." He looked between Mercedes and Sam, "I know you're both eager to be husband and wife so lets get to the vows."

"I'll go first.." Mercedes whispered softly as she looked at Sam with a smile, "I love you so much. We have been through so much together. Literally every obstacle that came out way, we overcame it." She leaned forward and wiped his tears, "I will never forget the first time I fell in love with you. I never told you or anyone else but when you helped me when I twisted my ankle, that's when I knew I was heads over heels for you." She smiled as she continued to look at him, "I can stand here all day and tell everyone why I love you, which will cause me to cry, but I won't. Just because my mascara is waterproof, it's not one hundred percent effective." The crowd laughed loudly at her, making the officiant laugh as well, "I want you to be no other than yourself, loving what I know of you, trusting what I do not yet know. I will respect you as an individual, a partner, and an equal. I promise to laugh with you when times are good, and endure with you when they are bad. I will always adore, honor and encourage you. I promise to try to be a wonderful wife and forever be a loving mother to Arianna and our future children. You are my best friend Sam and I will love you always."

Sam tried to hold back his tears but it was getting harder and harder. Everything she said was just perfect to him. He leaned forward and handed her Ari, pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket, "I'm not as good at remembering words like you." He chuckled along with everyone else before opening the paper up, taking a deep breath, "Mercedes, I love you so much. I thought this day would never come but it did. Its been a long eight years. Many eyeopeners and blessings have came with those years. You gave me the two of the best gifts a man could ever ask for..our daughter and your love." He took a deep breath before speaking again, "You know me better than anyone else in this world and somehow you still manage to love me. You are my best friend and one true love. There is still a part of me today that cannot believe that I'm the one who gets to marry you. I love you so much baby and I promise I would do everything in my power to be the best husband and father I can possibly be."

Mercedes had to bit her lip to stop a sob that was threatening to come out. She smiled lightly when Ari took the palm of her hand and wiped her face, giggling when the little girl kiss her.

"And if any one who thinks this couple should not be together, speak now or forever hold your peace..."

"Please don't let Santana show up.." All the groomsmen and bridesmaids mumbled simultaneously, not knowing that they all said it.

The officiant smiled when he heard nothing, turning to Austin, "The rings please.."

Austin walked to the man and handed him the rings. He happily made his way back to his father, beaming brightly.

"Mercedes please repeat after me.." The officiant started.

Mercedes sat Arianna down to the ground, who proceeded to hold onto her leg. She held the band to Sam's finger, "I, Mercedes, take you, Sam, to be my husband and I promise before God and these witnesses to be your loving and faithful wife in plenty and in want; in joy and in sorrow; in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live." She slid the band on his finger, smiling happily.

"Sam, repeat after me.."

"I, Sam, take you, Mercedes, to be my wife and I promise before God and these witnesses to be your loving and faithful husband in plenty and in want; in joy and in sorrow; in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live." Sam slid the band on her finger, placing a soft kiss on it.

"Do you, Mercedes, take this man, Sam, to be your husband, according to God's holy decree. Do you promise to be to him, a loving and loyal wife, to cherish and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, to be faithful only to him as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Mercedes said happily as she smiled at Sam.

"Do you, Sam, take this woman, Mercedes, to be your wife, according to God's holy decree. Do you promise to be to her a loving and loyal husband, to cherish and keep her sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, to be faithful only to her as long as you both shall live?"

Sam smirked triumphantly as he looked at her, bouncing on his toes as his favorite part was coming up, "I do.."

Mercedes blushed underneath his gaze, smiling widely.

"By the power vested in me, by the state of Florida, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Sam leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers, holding the sides of her face as the crowd cheered for them.

Mercedes melted into the kiss, moving her mouth along his excitedly as tears of joy fell from her eyes.

The officiant looked at the crowd, "I now present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Dwight Evans."

Sam pulled back with a huge grin across his face, "I love you so much."

Mercedes placed her hands on top of his and smiled, giggling happily, "I love you more."

Sam let go of her and grabbed her hand, turning to the crowd, "I have officially locked her down." He laughed when everyone else did. He bent down and picked up their daughter and began walking down the aisle, heading to the car that was waiting for them.

Mercedes smiled brightly as she slid in, watching as Sam sat Ari in the middle after he got in, closing the door behind him.

Sam smiled as he looked at her, leaning over to press a soft kiss to her lips, whispering, "Mrs. Evans.."

Mercedes chuckled as she looked at him, kissing him again before she pulled back, "I really love the sound of that."

"I do too." He smiled as he looked down at their daughter who was fighting her sleep. The ceremony was perfect, more than he could ever ask for. She was finally his wife. No more girlfriend or fiancée..his wife.

* * *

 **A/N. :)**


	8. A Reception For The Books

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **I Turn To You- Christina Aguilera**

 **My Wish- Rascal Flatts**

* * *

When Sam and Mercedes got home, they headed upstairs to change into their clothes for the reception. Sam kept on his button down shirt and just put on a pair of khaki Bermuda shorts paired with his white converses. He looked over at Mercedes and smiled. She had changed from her beautiful dress into a white romper paired with matching white converses like his and she left her hair like it was. He walked over and wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing a small kiss to her shoulder as he looked at her through the mirror, "I love you so much."

Mercedes looked at him and smiled, turning her head so she could kiss him properly, "I love you more baby."

Sam smiled as he hugged tightly before letting go, looking over to their daughter, who was sound asleep in their bed, "Think I should move her to her room and call Sarah?"

"No, I don't want to wake her and Brittany said she'll watch her for us." Mercedes said just as someone knocked on the door and opened it, "Hey Britt."

"Hey.." She said quietly as she walked into the room, smiling at the sleeping little girl.

"Thanks for watching her Brittany but we could've just called our emergency sitter."

Brittany waved them off, making her way to the bed, "No it's fine. As much as I love both of you and would love to be downstairs, I don't think I can stand on my ankle any longer today." Before Brittany flew out for the wedding, she had taught two dance classes and injured herself in the last one. There was no way she was going to miss her closest friends wedding but the pain from standing on it all day was unbearable.

Mercedes tucked her hair behind her ear as she walked over and helped Brittany into the bed, "She should be asleep for the rest of the evening since she skipped her nap but if you need anything, just call us."

"Yeah and we'll have someone bring you some food back and ice pack for your ankle." Sam said with a smile.

Brittany smiled as she snuggled close to Ari, grabbing the remote, "Okay. Congratulations again you two. I'm so happy you're finally married."

"Thanks again Brittany.." Mercedes smiled softly as she grabbed Sam's hand, leading him out the door, down the stairs and through the busy kitchen. Hearing the music, her smile only became brighter when they stopped at the backdoor. She turned to Sam, "You Ready Mr. Evans?"

Sam smirked down at her, placing a small kiss on her lips, "I am, Mrs. Evans."

Mercedes kissed him once again before pulling the doors open. She was in shock of how beautiful the backyard had turned out to be. Quinn was right, it was more beautiful at night. The round tables that seated their family and friends, to the lights that was hung up and the beautiful candle bowls in the pool. She was pretty impress by the servers too. They were nicely dressed and walking around serving everyone hors d'oeuvres and champagne. She came out of her amusement when she saw people clapping when the DJ came over the mic, "Introducing the newly wedded couple, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Dwight Evans."

The couple smiled and waved at everyone just as the music started back up. They spent the next twenty minutes going around and greeting their guest. All of the sudden the music stopped and Quinn spoke into the mic, "I hope you guys are enjoying this beautiful reception so far.." She smiled when everyone clapped, "We are going to have to put a little pause for right now. It's time for the first dance of our beautiful couple, followed by the father-daughter dance which is going to be followed by everyone receiving their meals. Thank you."

Sam smiled as he grabbed Mercedes hand just as the intro began, escorting his beautiful wife to the center of the concrete floor. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close.

Mercedes happily looped her arms around his neck and began to sway to the song.

 _When I'm lost in the rain,_

 _In your eyes I know I'll find the light_

 _To light my way._

 _And when I'm scared,_

 _And losing ground,_

 _When my world is going crazy,_

 _You can turn it all around._

 _And when I'm down you're there pushing me to the top._

 _You're always there,_

 _giving me all you've got._

 _For a shield from the storm,_

 _For a friend, for a love_

 _to keep me safe and warm_

 _I turn to you._

 _For the strength to be strong,_

 _For the will to carry on_

 _For everything you do,_

 _for everything that's true_

 _I turn to you._

 _When I lose the will to win,_

 _I just reach for you and_

 _I can reach the sky again._

 _I can do anything_

 _'Cause your love is so amazing,_

 _'Cause your love inspires me._

 _And when I need a friend,_

 _You're always on my side_

 _Giving me faith_

 _taking me through the night_

Sam leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips, smiling when he pulled back, "I love you."

"I love you more." She smiled as she kissed him again, ignoring the flashes of the cameras and the very much obvious crying of Tina, "Thank you for making me the happiest woman in the world."

 _For a shield from the storm,_

 _For a friend, for a love_

 _to keep me safe and warm_

 _I turn to you._

 _For the strength to be strong,_

 _For the will to carry on_

 _For everything you do,_

 _for everything that's true_

 _I turn to you._

 _For the arms to be my shelter_

 _through all the rain,_

"No, thank you for making me the luckiest and the happiest man in the world." He looked at her seriously, "I hope you know I meant every single word in my vows."

Mercedes could feel the stinging in the back of her eyes when she remembered his words, "I did too"

 _For truth that will never change,_

 _For someone to lean on,_

 _For a heart I can rely on through anything,_

 _For that one who I can run to..._

 _For a shield from the storm,_

 _For a friend, for a love_

 _to keep me safe and warm_

 _I turn to you_

 _For the strength to be strong,_

 _For the will to carry on_

 _For everything you do,_

 _for everything that's true_

 _I turn to you._

 _For a shield from the storm,_

 _For a friend, for a love_

 _to keep me safe and warm_

 _I turn to you._

 _For the strength to be strong,_

 _For the will to carry on_

 _For everything you do,_

 _for everything that's true_

 _I turn to you._

 _I turn to you..._

Sam kissed her deeply one last time before he pulled away, wiping away her tears, "I love you."

"I love you." She smiled as she sniffled, hugging him until she heard someone clear their throat. She turned around and found her father-in-law, holding out his hand.

"If I may.." Dwight came up to the couple with a huge smile on his face.

Sam smiled as he let Mercedes go, stepping back to the side to watch on. While they were planning their wedding, Mercedes had opted not to do the father-daughter dance because of obvious reasons. That is until Dwight told her that he would step in if she wanted him too. Mercedes immediately rejected because she didn't want Stephanie nor Stacey to feel some type of way. But what she really didn't know was, they were the ones who wanted their dad to ask her.

 _I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow_

 _And each road leads you where you want to go_

 _And if you're faced with the choice and you have to choose_

 _I hope you choose the one that means the most to you_

 _And if one door opens to another door closed_

 _I hope you keep on walkin' 'til you find the window_

 _If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile_

 _But more than anything, more than anything_

Mercedes couldn't stop crying if she tried. For Dwight to do this for her, meant so much. She laid her head down on his shoulder and continued to sway, "Thank you so much for being here for me Papa, you have no idea how much this means."

"It's an honor to be able to do this. You have always been like a daughter to me Mercedes. But today, it was made official that you are my daughter." He smiled down at her, holding her tightly as they danced to the music.

 _My wish for you_

 _Is that this life becomes all that you want it to_

 _Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small_

 _You never need to carry more than you can hold_

 _And while you're out there gettin' where you're gettin' to_

 _I hope you know somebody loves you_

 _And wants the same things too_

 _Yeah, this is my wish_

Stephanie pressed her glass to her lips, sipping down the bubbly liquid as she went to stand by her brother. Looking towards the dance floor with a smile, "I'm glad that dad could do this for her."

"You know the only reason she was so hesitant about letting him to do for her is because she didn't want to make you or Stacey mad."

Stephanie looked at him in shock, "Seriously?" When he nodded, she turned her eyes back to the floor, deep in thought.

 _I hope you never look back but you never forget_

 _All the ones who love you_

 _And the place you left_

 _I hope you always forgive and you never regret_

 _And you help somebody every chance you get_

 _Oh, you find God's grace in every mistake_

 _And always give more than you take_

 _But more than anything, yeah more than anything_

 _This is my wish_

 _I hope you know somebody loves you_

 _May all your dreams stay big_

Mercedes pulled back, wiping away her tears from her face as she looked at the older man, "Thank you so much Papa. I'm very thankful to have you in my life. I love you so, so much."

"I love you too." Dwight smiled as he unwrapped his arms from around her and kissed her cheek, "I'm always here for you Mercedes, never forget that."

Mercedes nodded as she hugged him one last time before letting go. She was so grateful to have Dwight in her life. He was always there for her and Sam whenever they needed him. She we so caught up in her thoughts, she didn't feel the pinch that Stephanie did to her shoulder.

"Dammit Mercedes, why the hell would you think something like that?" Stephanie said lowly as she stared at her with a questionable expression.

Mercedes looked at her confusedly before it dawned on her of what she was talking about. She let out a sigh and shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know..its just how I felt. I mean, he's not my dad so.."

"He is your dad, dammit. And I hate to say this and I swear I'm not trying to hurt your feelings right now but he's more of a dad than yours was ever to you." She said truthfully.

"Steph.." Sam tried to interrupt her but he knew that was going to be impossible. One thing about his older sister, she wasn't going to bite her tongue.

"No, she needs to hear this right now." Stephanie grabbed Mercedes' hands and stared at her, "Don't ever feel like you're stepping on anyones toes. Even before today, you were our family. That means you get treated just like an Evans. Our dad has been your dad every since we have known you. So please don't ever feel like that again, okay? We love you Mercedes and we so happy that you are in our lives."

By this point, Mercedes was full out crying. Everything Stephanie was saying was hitting every emotion in her. She was sad and angry because what she was saying about her dad was true. He was never there for her and that's one reason she is never going to let him back in her life because she doesn't want her daughter to face the disappointment that she did. And on the other hand, she felt happy and loved. The Evans' has been there for her through everything and she really felt silly for even thinking Stephanie and Stacey would feel that way. She looked at her through her tears and nodded silently, "I love you."

"Come here." She pulled her to her and wrapped her up into a big hug, kissing the side of her face, "I love you too."

* * *

After two emotional dances and a heart to heart moment, everyone had got their meals and the DJ had the music flowing freely. Mercedes and Sam were really enjoying themselves with their family and friends. The aurora in the air was very jubilant and that's something Mercedes was really happy about. No negativity was brought on this day and she was so thankful. She ate the last piece of her streak and washed it down with her drink, her eyes following Josh and Quinn as they made their way to the steps, grabbing mics along the way.

Josh tapped the top of the mic when the DJ cut the music once again, clearing his throat, "If I could have everyone's attention for just a moment.." You could hear the conversations die down, everyone's eyes focusing on the man, "Honestly, Its really an honor to be standing up here and speaking as Sam's best man. I think the decision was quite hard for Sam to choose because we're all so close but I'm happy it was me. No offense guys." Everyone laughed at him, easing up some of the nerves he had, "I have known Sam since we were little and back in Nashville. Growing up together, we had some good times. When you moved to Ohio, I was sad that my best friend was gone. That's why I was so happy that two years later my mom got a job close by and I was able to come be close to you. Over the years, him and Mercedes have been there for me more than anyone else has. I've been with them through their ups and their downs and I'm happy that I could be included in their family. I'm glad that you made it right and married your best friend Sam. And Mercedes, I'm glad this knuckle head mustered up the courage to ask you out eight years ago." He looked at the couple with a smile, his eyes tearing up, "You guys encourage me everyday and I'm so grateful for both of you. I really did have a longer speech prepared but I was afraid I was going to burst out in tears so I chose the shorter and less emotional one." Everyone chuckled at him as he raised his champagne glass, "I raise my glass to you, Mr. and Mrs. Evans. To many years of love, joy and happiness. May God continue to bless you. I love you both." He smiled when everyone clapped, walking down the steps to the couple.

Sam smiled as he stood up and hugged him, tears in his eyes for the second time tonight, "I love you man."

"I love you brother." He hugged him back just as tight, patting his back as he let go and repeated his actions with Mercedes.

Quinn smiled as she sat down on the stone of the stairwell, looking out towards the crowd, "For those who don't know me, I'm Quinn Puckerman and I've known Mercedes for a long time. Just like Josh said, I'm quite honor to have been her maid of honor because we are such a close group also." She laughed a little to herself, "It's funny because I told Mike that he should be the one up here giving the speech. Him and Mercedes has been inseparable since they were kids. But he told me to go up there and say something for the both of us because we were both there for her and I am." Her eyes found Mercedes and she smiled, "I'm so happy to be apart of your life. Our friendship is one of the things I treasure tremendously. I remember when I first met you in first grade. I was sitting alone at the table during recess and all of sudden a beautiful little girl with huge puffballs and two missing teeth came up and sat beside me offering some of her animal crackers. I thought that was the best day of my life. Seriously, I talked about it for a month." The crowd laughed at her, Mercedes joining in as she leaned into Sam's side wiping her face, "Fast forward twenty years and here we are. I'm so happy for you guys. You deserve all good things that comes you way. Trust and believe I had so much more to say but..I'm already crying and you guys already know how much I love you both. Thank you."

Mercedes let go of Sam and met Quinn halfway, hugging the taller blonde tightly, "Love you so much."

"I love you too." She smiled as she wiped her tears, laughing when she felt another pair of arms wrap around them.

"You did the speech justice Q." Mike smiled as he joined in, hugging his friends closely, "Love you both."

Micah cleared his throat as he approached them with Austin in his arms, causing them to break apart, "Alright, I hate to break up this beautiful scene but me and this little guy really want a piece of cake."

"Yeah, Aunt Cede can you cut the cake plwease." Austin said with a pouty look on his face.

"Anything for you, little man." Mercedes kissed his nose, earning a happy grin from the little boy. She walked over to Sam and placed a quick kiss on his lips, her small hand locking with his.

Sam smiled as Mercedes pulled him towards the cake table. They had so much fun doing the cake tasting but they also had a hard time deciding what flavor. Ultimately they came up with having two, two-tier cakes. Red-velvet for Mercedes and chocolate for Sam. Sam watched as Mercedes picked up the knife for hers and cut a small piece. He smirked and did the same with his.

Mercedes picked up the piece in her hand and turned to Sam, holding it up to his mouth with a innocent smile.

Sam knew that look. She was playing coy and he wasn't about the let her get him. He smiled right before he took his piece and smashed it in her face.

"SAM!" She yelled loudly, giggling to herself as she grabbed ahold of his shirt before he could step back. She took her small hand and smashed it right between his eyes, smearing down on his face.

"Remember they're kids here so please get it off of each other appropriately." Karen said with a smile, shaking her head at the two.

Sam laughed at her before turning back to Mercedes. He moved aside so the servers could cut the cake up and give it to the people. He grabbed a napkin and began wiping the chocolate gooeyness off of her face with a small grin.

Mercedes couldn't stop giggling as she licked some of the icing before she grabbed napkin as well, "It's really good actually.."

"Mhm, now you see why I picked it.." He stopped wiping once he was done, letting Mercedes continue to get it off of him. Once she was finished, he leaned down and kissed her delicately.

Mercedes wrapped her arm around his neck to pull him closer and deepen the kiss as she swayed to a song that was playing. She pulled back with a smack and a big smile, "I love you."

Sam tighten his arms around her waist and kissed her again, and again and again before he finally said it back, "I love you more."

Mercedes smiled as she ran her thumb across his bottom lip, kissing the corner of his mouth before turning around in his arms, looking over their family and friends, some were happily eating cake and some were dancing it up on the floor, "This day was you for making all of this happen."

"It couldn't have happen if you didn't say yes to me." He chuckled at bit, kissing the side of her face.

Mercedes leaned against him as she took in the people, smiling when she saw her grandmother and grandfather from her mother's side talking it up with Sam's family. She was so happy that that were still alive to witness this chapter of her life and she was so grateful that they got to spend some quality time with their great-great granddaughter, "I think we should go take a few pictures and then go in and checked on Britt and Ari."

Sam nodded as he let her go, grabbing ahold of her hand, "Sounds good." They walked around for next hour taking pictures with everyone and getting much needed advice for the older crowd and the ones who were married.

Mercedes was sitting on Mike's knee while Sam talk with a few of his friends from his old team. She turned and smiled at Austin, who was sitting in his dad's lap, eating was she could guess was his fourth piece of cake in the last hour.

"He is going to be so hyper." Mariana said with a giggle as she watched the little boy.

Stacey laughed and nodded in agreement with her.

"Give him a warm bath and some warm milk, he'll go right to sleep." Mercedes said with a smile as she looked at them, "It works. I did it for Ari when she ate all of that cake for her birthday. I gave her some tummy medicine so it wouldn't be hurting then did that remedy and ten minutes later, she was out like a light."

"I will definitely do that tonight." Tina said from her seat beside her husband.

Sam walked over to Mercedes and pulled her from Mike's knee, "Excuse us for a second." He placed a hand on her lower back and guided her to the steps.

Mercedes smiled as she grabbed a mic and tapped it, getting everyone's attention, "Hey everyone. Sam and I would like to thank you for coming out and celebrating with us. We really appreciate each and every one of you."

Sam leaned down and spoke, looking out at them, "Mercedes and I are so grateful that we have such an amazing support group and we just thank you for coming."

"With that being said, enjoy some left overs and some great music. Thanks again." She smiled when they clapped and she handed the DJ back the mic. She grabbed Sam's hand and led him back into the house, seeing the kitchen staff cleaning up, "Excuse me, if by chance, did anyone see a tall blonde come down for something to eat?"

"I did.." One waiter said as he dried his hands, "She came down with your daughter about an hour ago. I helped her wrap her ankle up, then they ate and went back upstairs."

"Thanks man." Sam sent the young boy a smile.

"Yeah, thank you." Mercedes smiled as she started to make her way through the living room and up the stairs with Sam in tow. Making it to their room, she saw Brittany and Ari curled up together in their pajamas sleeping soundly, "Looks like we won't be sleeping in here tonight."

Sam looked over her head and let out a low snort, shaking his head, "Looks like it."

Mercedes closed the door quietly, turning back to Sam, "Lets go back down."

He nodded, grabbing her hand as they walked back down to the backyard.

* * *

Two hours later, everyone had left. The clean up crew was outside making sure they got everything up. The reception ended with everyone getting up and dancing. Sam and Mercedes were definitely exhausted but very well pleased from the day.

Mercedes sighed as she threw her legs over Sam's. They were sitting on the couch in the living room, too exhausted to head upstairs, "What a day.."

"What a day indeed.." He turned his head towards her with a smile, lacing her fingers together, her ring shining brightly, "You're my wife..damn, that felt so good to say."

Mercedes giggled at his cuteness, squeezing his hand, "And you're my husband."

Sam leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to her lips, wanting nothing more but to express how he was feeling right now.

Mercedes held his face with her free hand and kissed him back with as much passion she could muster.

Sam moved his lips from hers and began placing small kisses down her neck, "You know.." He started before he pulled back, catching his breath, "I was going to tell you this tomorrow but I can't wait.."

Mercedes whined when he stopped, her chest was rising and falling as she sat back. At his words, she looked at him curiously, "What's up?"

"You know how I was considering taking the New York deal right?" He watched as she nodded and he grabbed her hands, "The deal was perfect, not because of the money but because of the position and the schedule. I would be home more.." He smiled as he looked at her, "I didn't take it because I got offered something really better and I think it's just perfect not only me but for us."

By this time, Mercedes was sitting up, trying to see where he was going with this. She could see the excitement in his eyes and that made her want to know ten times more, "Come on, tell me.."

"Well first, we're going to be living in California.." He started, seeing her eyes brighten up, he chuckled, "And I'm going to be the offensive line coach at USC _."_

Mercedes mouth dropped in shock and not for the reason that anyone would think, "Wait..so you're leaving the NFL?"

Sam nodded with a smile, "Yes. I realized that I'm not living my dream. I love football but I don't want to be playing for the rest of my life and I don't want to be so worn out that I can't physically be there for you, Arianna and our future children. Plus, I want my low-key lifestyle back. No paps heckling me and you nor constant fake stories. Hopefully I can have that."

"Oh my god baby, I'm so happy for you." Mercedes leaned over and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you." He whispered as he hugged her back, kissing her cheek softly.

Mercedes pulled back, tugging at her bottom lip, "Well, I guess I should tell you my news now too then.."

"Shoot.."

"Well..." She stretched out, chuckling a bit, "You know Cannon goes to school at USC and he called me a few weeks ago and asked if I was still looking for a job. I told him, I'm keeping my options open. Long story short, I kind of got offered to be head director over the music program at USC. Of course, I didn't accept it right away because I didn't know where you were going but holy shit Sam.."

Sam was in shock. He was not expecting Mercedes to say that but he was so happy she did, "Baby I don't think this is a coincidence..it gotta be fate." He laughed happily as he hugged her, "I'm proud of you. You should definitely called them tomorrow and accept that offer."

"I will.." She smiled as she leaned back to look at him, "I love you so much Sam, never forget that okay?"

"I couldn't if I tried. I love you more." He kissed her soundly as he hands made their way underneath her shorts, "Now if you don't mind, we have a lot to celebrate and I promised you a long night of fulfillment."

Mercedes chuckled against his lips as she laid back on the couch, laughing loudly when he literally pounced on her. Today was literally one of the best days of her life and she couldn't to have many more of them.

* * *

 **A/N. Did you enjoy it as much as I did? What was your favorite part? Much more coming from this sequel! Would love to read your feedback, :)**


	9. Home

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **Home- Phillip Phillips**

 **Arianna's FC is on my tumblr (twrites1)! Go ahead & see Samcedes' little Cookie Monster before reading, :) **

* * *

Mercedes watched Arianna as she climbed up the steps to her. She smiled as she picked up the little girl and placed her in her lap, "What are you doing Cookie Monster?" She tickled the little girls' stomach, her giggles filling up the empty house. Today was the day that they were finally leaving Tampa. Its been three weeks since their beautiful wedding and since then, they have been packing and getting business in order before they headed out to Cali. In between getting everything together, Sam decided to do something special for there honeymoon. Instead of spending a week in Tahiti like he initially planned, they spent a weekend in the Bahamas were they really, really enjoyed their alone time together. Mercedes hummed as she looked at her daughter who was staring back at her. All of a sudden, the little girl bursted our into fits of giggles, "What's so funny you silly girl?"

"Alright. Yes. Yes, thank you so much for your help. You have a good day now. Bye." Sam said as he hung up the phone, standing in front of his family. He smiled as he walked up the two steps to sit by them, "That was the supervisor of the moving crew. He called and said that they just completed everything they had left to do."

"So it'll be ready when we get there later on right?" Mercedes asked as she watched Ari get out of her lap and go to her daddy.

Sam nodded as he lifted his daughter up in his lap and looked at his wife, "Yes ma'am it will."

Mercedes smiled as she leaned over and kiss him gently, "I love you."

"I love you too." Sam smiled back her before pecking her lips again.

Arianna cooed as she played with Sam's phone, looking up at her parents curiously.

Mercedes looked towards the door when she heard the horn honking outside. She stood from the stairwell and looked around, "I'm really going to miss this place."

"Me too." He stood up also with his daughter in his arms, looking around as well, "A lot of good and bad memories in here but we made it work."

"Yes we did." She said quietly as she looked at him with a small smile, "Now it's time for a fresh start, make more and better memories."

"Mhm." He started walking to the front door with a sigh, opening it up, he gave it one final look before stepping out completely.

Mercedes stuck her hands in her back pockets as she followed behind him. Once she got out, she took a look at the empty house with a sad smile, "Our first home we ever brought together, I'll never forget it but it's time to move on."

"Exactly." Sam said as he closed the door, smiling at his daughter, "Say bye to the house Ari." He held up his free hand and waved, "Bye bye."

Ari looked at her dad before mimicking his actions, her mouth moving, "bye.."

Mercedes smiled at her little girl, kissing her cheek. Arianna has been trying to talk for the last couple of weeks and she has been doing really good for her age. She mastered the words no, bye, yes, dada and mama. When she first called Sam dad, it kind of caught him off guard until she said it again. He swears that that was legit one of the best days of his life.

"Lets get out of here." Sam said as he placed a hand on Mercedes' lower back, walking his small family to the car. He was excited for this new change in their lives and he couldn't wait to get to California to start it.

* * *

Mercedes chewed on her bottom as she held onto Sam's left hand. They had just arrived in LA thirty minutes ago and now they were on the way to their new home. Mercedes was so excited and anxious for many reasons. But one thing she was excited about was seeing the house. Sam had wanted to do something special for her so he told her she couldn't see the house until they got there. Basically, she didn't know what it looked like or where it was located.

Sam sent a text to Mike, thanking him and Tina again for everything that they have done. Since they lived in LA, Mike and Tina have been there with the movers everyday, making sure that everything was put in the correct place. After the wedding, The Chang Family had offered to take Rocky back with them so he could already be there. Sam was real grateful for the friends they had. They were always there for them no matter what. Sliding his phone in his pocket, he looked over at Mercedes and sent her a grin, "Are you excited?"

"I am.." She smiled at him, pressing a small kiss to his lips.

"I hope you like it. I know you said you wanted something smaller than what we had before and more homey so I think I did a pretty good job." He said with a smile as he looked at her, hearing the car come to a stop, he opened the door and got out, moving to grab his daughter out of her car seat.

Mercedes unbuckled her seatbelt and opened her door as well. Turning around once she got out, her breath got caught in her throat when she saw the house, "Oh my god Sam, is this ours?"

Sam nodded as he sat Ari to her feet on the sidewalk and turned back to Mercedes with a smile, "All ours. Like it so far?"

"I do.." She said as she took in the house that was built with stones. She shut the door and walked around the car to stand next to Sam, "Babe.."

"Come on.." Sam said as he grabbed her and Ari's hands, walking around the small fountain, leading them to the front door, he turned the knob and opened it.

Mercedes stepped inside the house and gasped as she took in the front foyer. One thing that immediately caught her eyes when she moved further in was the short spiral stairwell and how opened and spacey the whole place was.

"It has five bedrooms, five and half baths and a total of twelve rooms all together." Sam said as he watched Ari walked around, "It may seem like a lot but its really not."

Mercedes nodded as she walk through the downstairs, taking in the first living room, she smiled as she saw the pictures of them, their family and friends hanging up throughout the room. She looked up on the wall and ran her hand over it, "The color scheme is amazing."

Sam smiled as he followed behind her as they walked throughout the downstairs. He turned his head once he heard Ari scream but then it turned into giggles. He let out a loud laugh when he saw Rocky licking the small girl on her face, "Hey buddy."

Mercedes turned and smiled when she saw the large dog, going over to him, she rubbed the top of his head, "We miss you so much baby boy."

Ari giggled as she gripped the dog's collar excitedly, grunting as she pulled up, trying to get on top of him.

"Baby don't hurt yourself or Rocky." Sam laughed as he watched his daughter pull herself up by holding on to Rocky by his collar, "What are we going to do with you little girl?"

Mercedes shook her head with a smile as she watched Ari hold on to the collar as he carefully walked around the house with her, "They have done this so many times, I don't think she's ever going to fall off."

"That child is a risk taker.." Sam laughed as he walked up the stairs.

"I wonder who she gets that from." Mercedes smirked, shaking her head as she followed behind him to take a look upstairs.

Sam had worked really hard on finding the perfect house for his family. So when he found this one, he knew it was the one. The 7.9 million dollar French inspired home is located in exclusive gated Brentwood Circle neighborhood. Just like he said earlier, the home had five bedrooms and five and half baths. Sam and Mercedes' room included a sitting area, fireplace, private balcony, his and her closets, a shower and a circular built in spa tub. On the other side of the stairwells was Ari's room and Sam turned the guest room by hers into a playroom for his baby girl, while the other two rooms down the long hallway stayed the same. The home also included a gym on the first floor and a home office. When they were finished looking upstairs, they headed back downstairs to look at the kitchen.

Mercedes ran her hand along the beautiful granite counters, looking around, "I like how you have the table and then the living room right there."

"I thought that was pretty cool too." Sam said as he started walking to the back door.

Mercedes followed behind him as he headed for the backyard. Once he opened the door, her eyes scanned over the sitting area that was right by the steps. She looked out towards the backyard, "I like the open area before the pool. And I especially love that we have a gate that separates the two. That's just perfect for Ari's safety." She walked through the grass until she made it to the gate, looking over at the stone built in ground rectangular designed pool. It had a beautiful covered inviting patio above the pool with built in fireplace, BBQ grill and a sitting area.

Sam came up beside his wife and looked at her, "How did I do?"

Mercedes leaned over and kiss him soundly before pulling back, "You did amazing baby. This house is literally perfect. It's not too big and it's not too small. I love it and I love you."

"I love you too.." Sam smiled as he moved and wrapped his arms around her.

Mercedes moved her hair from out of her face and laid her head against his chest, "I'm just afraid of hearing how much you actually paid for it. You know we had a budget."

"Well.." He stretched out as he laid his head down on top of hers, mumbling, "We're not going to talk about that.."

Mercedes giggled as she pull back, "Sam Evans I swear, if I find out you went over budget.."

"You're not going to find out.." He smirked down at her, shaking his head, "And I'm not going to confirm or deny if I did anyways."

Mercedes rolled her eyes as she hit his chest, groaning at the fact that he just basically told her he did, "Sam.."

"Mercedes.." Sam mocked her as he pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arms around her waist, pecking her lips softly as he hugged her tightly, "I wanted to find a place that was just right for us. And if that meant spending a little extra cash to do so, the hell with it."

"Fine.." Mercedes smiled up at him, standing on her tip-toes to press another kiss to the corner of his mouth, "I love you."

"I love you more." He said as he unwrapped himself from her, grabbing her hand, he led her back into the house and into the living room, where he found Ari and Rocky laying on the floor. Shaking his head, he picked her up from off the ground and handed her to Mercedes.

Mercedes chuckled as she picked up their little girl and sat on the couch, watching as Sam grabbed his guitar from the wall and sat on the table in front of them.

Sam sat the guitar in his lap and placed his hand in the correct position, tapping his foot against the ground as he began to sing.

 _Hold on to me as we go_

 _As we roll down this unfamiliar road_

 _And although this wave is stringing us along_

 _Just know you're not alone_

 _'Cause I'm gonna make this place your home_

 _Settle down, it'll all be clear_

 _Don't pay no mind to the demons_

 _They fill you with fear_

 _The trouble it might drag you down_

 _If you get lost you can always be found_

 _Just know you're not alone_

 _'Cause I'm gonna make this place your home_

 _Ooo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo. Oo-oo-oo-oo_

 _Aaa-aa-aa-aa-aa-aa-aa. Aa-aa-aa-aaaaaa_

 _Settle down, it'll all be clear_

 _Don't pay no mind to the demons_

 _They fill you with fear_

 _The trouble it might drag you down_

 _If you get lost, you can always be found_

 _Just know you're not alone_

 _'Cause I'm gonna make this place your home_

 _Ooo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo. Ao-oo-oo-oo_

 _Aaa-aa-aa-aa-aa-aa-aa. Aa-aa-aa-aaaaaa_

He stopped playing and leaned forward the kiss both of his girls. The rest of the evening, they spent their time getting s feel of their new house. They ordered in food for the first night and all slept in the master bed. This was a great start to a new beginning.

* * *

 **A/N. Please DO NOT WORRY! We are going to get that flashback of Ari calling Sam 'Dada' I promise! What do you think of the move? Hope you enjoyed this short update, so excited for this sequel! You're going to want to see Samcedes' beautiful California home so just copy & paste that word & number at the bottom and then once you entered it into google, click on French Elegance! BTW, the budget was one million or less and Sam went over by seven million dollars, lmao. ****slideshow/1300098**


	10. A Pause On The Future

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE** **NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

"Come on shortie." Mercedes said as she walked down the stairs, her daughter following behind her giggling. Its been just a few days since the move and they were getting the hang of everything. School didn't start back for two more weeks but Sam had to start working with the team as soon as they got here. She hit the bottom step and turned around to lean down and picked her squealing daughter up and head towards the kitchen.

"Dada.." Arianna called out happily when she saw Sam sitting at the kitchen counter on his phone.

"Hey Ari.." He smiled as he got up and picked her out of her mother's arms.

"I thought you had a late practice today." Mercedes said as she kissed him before moving towards the refrigerator.

"Coach canceled it because his son had orientation for school tonight." Sam answered, smiling at his daughter, who was playing with the whistle around his neck.

Mercedes nodded as she pulled out some meat from the freezer, turning towards Sam, "Steak or chicken?"

"Definitely steak."

"I figured." She smirked at him before setting the meat in the sink. She bent down to grab the sack of potatoes from the floor, "I talked to Josh today."

"You did? When is he coming?" Sam asked curiously as he sat back down in the chair. Josh didn't come straight to Cali when they moved. After the wedding, he went to Tennessee to spend some time with his family.

Mercedes reached for the knife and opened up the bag, grabbing a potato out, she started to peel it, "His flight gets in at eight tomorrow morning so I thought it would be good if me and Ari went to pick him up."

"I'm excited for him to come out here." Sam said as kissed his daughter's cheek, looking back up at Mercedes, "Believe it or not, he doesn't even know what the place looks like. I didn't tell him because that boy can't hold water."

"Believe me, I know.." Mercedes said as she turned on the cold water, quirking a brow at her husband, "Remember the whole Cincinnati trip?"

Sam shrugged unapologetically, "I said I was sorry but if I told you, you would've stop me."

"Damn right I would've. No sense in beating on a dead horse." Mercedes shrugged at him, not wanting to have this conversation about that man.

Sam sense her mood starting to change and he didn't want to make her upset so he decided to change the subject, "I was on Twitter last night and I came across the fact that I have been nominated for the best male athlete for the Teen Choice Awards."

"Aw, congratulations babe." Mercedes sent him a smile as she cut the water off, leaning against the counter.

"Yeah, it's crazy that I was nominated after everything.."

"Baby, people still love you no matter what decision you made. You're a great person Sam, your heart is so big and you actually care about people so I'm not surprised at all at this." She smiled as she leaned over and kissed him softly.

"I needed that, thank you." He said quietly as he looked at her with a smile, "So you wouldn't mind being my plus one?"

"You know I would love too but I have dinner with the dean that night.." She said with a pout, moving around the counter to stand in front of him, "But I do know who you can take.."

Sam raised an eyebrow, "And who is that?"

"Your little mini me." Mercedes said with a smirk as she looked down at the little girl in his lap, who was looking between her parents curiously.

Sam looked down and a smile took over his features, "Cookie Monster?"

"Yeah..I think it would be cool for you two to have a little daddy and daughter night out." Mercedes smiled at him, knowing that he was going to like this next part, "And I'll even let pick out her outfit."

"Done." Sam said quickly as he looked at his daughter, "Ari, do you want to hang out with your old man?" He watched as she squealed and jumped in his lap, taking her small arms and wrapping them around his neck.

Mercedes chuckled at her, shaking her head, "I'll take that as a yes."

Sam held her back as he rocked her back and forth with a laugh, "I think she's more excited because you said I could dress her."

Mercedes snorted and rolled her eyes, "Whatever Sam. God knows if it was up to you, my baby would be in a t-shirt, jeans and converses everyday."

"I'm not even going to lie and say that's not true." Sam let out a laugh as he looked at her.

"I can't with your shenanigans Samuel." Mercedes smiled at him, shaking her head as she seasoned the meat, "Just don't have my baby up their looking like a boy."

Sam rolled his eyes at her, "Geez, have some trust in me woman."

"Oh I have trust in you in many of things but dressing our daughter is not one of them." She laughed when he glared at her, batting her eyelashes, "I still love you though."

"I love you too." Sam smirked widely as he stood up from the chair, "Come on Ari, lets go get a head start on your outfit while mommy cooks dinner."

Mercedes shook her head with a giggle as she went back preparing their dinner. If it was one thing her husband was, it was determined and she loved that about him.

* * *

Josh grabbed his bag from the baggage claim, pulling his phone from his pocket to call Mercedes. He was so happy to finally be here. He had spent some much needed time with his family and received lots of advice and encouragement on many of things from them that he had needed.

Mercedes groaned as she shielded her baby from the paps as she entered the airport. She thought for sure they would leave them alone once Sam resigned from the NFL but she was wrong. And why the hell were they even following her anyways? Taking a calming breath, she looked down at her daughter and saw a frown on her face much like hers, "I know baby girl, they make me mad too." She felt her phone vibrating in her back pocket, looking around, she found Josh at the baggage claim and she figured he was calling her so she sat Ari down, bending down to her, she looked at her daughter with a smile, taking her hand to point into the direction he was, "There's Uncle Josh."

Ari looked at her mommy before turning to see who she was pointing to, her hazel eyes lit up when she saw him. She took off in a wobbly run to her uncle, smiling brightly as she let out a happy squeal.

Josh turned around when he heard squealing and he laughed when he saw the little girl coming to him. He hung up the phone and put it back into his pocket, bending down, he open up his arms with a smile when she ran to him, picking her up, he hugged her tightly, "Hey lady bug."

Mercedes stood up and began to walk over to them. She loved the relationship Josh and Ari had. They have been super close every since she was born and she was happy about that. She loved the fact that Ari had so many positive people around her who wanted to be in her life. She smiled as stood in front of them, "Hey Josh."

"Mercedes." He smiled as he leaned over and hugged her, "I've missed you guys."

"We missed you too." Mercedes said as she reached into her purse and handed him the keys, "Here are the keys to the car, I really have to go the restroom."

Josh took the keys from her and nodded. He balanced Arianna on his side before he grabbed his bag with his other hand. He looked outside and made sure the paps were gone, seeing that they had move on to someone else, he quickly exited the building and headed to the car. Popping the truck, he put his bag in then closed it before heading to the backseat to put Ari in her car seat.

Mercedes opened the stall and let out a sigh of relief as she walked to the counter to wash her hands. She grabbed a paper towel and headed out the restroom. She was grateful that the paps moved on to someone else, making it easy for her to get to her car. She got into the drivers seat and buckled up, looking at him with a smile, "You ready?"

"Mhm." He nodded excitedly, buckling up as well.

Mercedes nodded as she looked at the mirror to check on Ari. She smiled when she saw her sitting back, looking out the window. She turned on the engine and pulled off.

They spent the next thirty minutes just catching up and talking about Josh's visit with his family. They stopped and picked up some breakfast and headed straight for the house. When they got there, Josh was in shock at how beautiful it was. Mercedes gave him a tour, chuckling at how wide his eyes were when he took in everything. She looked down at her sleeping daughter in her arms and decided to lay her on the couch in the living room.

"This place is incredible." Josh said as he looked around the kitchen, "I can't believe he didn't tell me."

"Well he said that you couldn't keep a secret to save your life and I whole heartedly agree with that." Mercedes laughed at the expression that was on his face, making her way to the table.

Josh mumbled underneath his breath as he went and sat down in the chair at the kitchen table, taking his plate out from the bag, "Have you started work yet?"

"Kinda sorta." She answered as she lifted the lid off of her fruit cup, "School starts in two more weeks but I have been to the school and have met with many different people. I even got my office set up."

Josh nodded as he chewed on his bacon, looking at her curiously, "So what exactly is it you're going to be doing? Is it like the same thing you have been doing?"

"No it's not. I'm the director of the music program, meaning, I oversee the whole music department. The classes, the choir, etc. I make sure that everything is going the way it suppose to and I have to approve everything from concerts on campus to money from out of state. It's different but I think I'm really going to enjoy it."

"That's sound cool." He smiled as he sat up in his chair, shaking his bottle of orange juice, "You're like a legit boss lady."

"No to sound conceited or anything but I feel like one." She chuckled as she bit down on her honeydew, chewing slowly, "How about you? Did you figure out what school you're going to go to?"

"Yeah..about that." He started but stopped short when he heard the front door open and close. Turning around in his seat, he saw Sam coming in, "Hey man."

"What's up brother." Sam said with a smile as he hugged his best friend, "Missed you dude."

"I missed you too." Josh patted his back with a smile.

"God, get a room already." Mercedes said a with a snort, looking on at the two friends.

Sam let go of his friend, looking over at his wife with a smirk, "Jealous much?"

"Of you two lovebirds?" She questioned with her eyebrows raised, a matching smirk on her face, "Not at all."

Josh laughed at the banner between them, shaking his head in amusement.

Sam went over and dropped a kiss to her lips, stealing a strawberry from her cup, "How was your flight?"

"Long and relaxing to be honest." He answered as folded his arms across his chest.

"That's good." Sam said as he walked over to the couch, pressing a kiss to his sleeping daughter's forehead.

Mercedes swallowed the last of her fruit and sipped some of her water, "I was just asking Josh about which school he was going to go to here."

"Oh yeah, did you ever figure that out?" Sam asked curiously as he walked back towards them, taking a seat beside Mercedes.

Josh rubbed the back of his neck and took a deep breath, "Yeah..I decided that I'm not going to go."

Mercedes eyes bugged out as she hushed whispered, "What? Why?"

"What made you change your mind?" Sam asked, honestly confused because his friend was talking about going back non-stop a few weeks ago.

"I'm just not feeling it anymore. I was excited but then I wasn't. I'm still going to paint though and I found this great artist who's interested in buying my paintings for his gallery. I still want to open up my own art gallery but right now I'm going to put that on hold and plus, you two are starting new jobs and I know you don't want to let a stranger take care of Ari so I'll do it."

Mercedes looked at Sam before turning back to him, "Josh, we couldn't ask you to do that."

"You're not asking, I'm telling you that I'm going to do it and before you say it, I know USC has a daycare center for the faculty but come on, wouldn't you rather her be with someone she knows?"

"You have a point J but we don't want you to have to put your dreams on a back burner."

"I'm not putting them on the back burner because I have to, I'm doing it because I want to." He stressed as he looked at both of them, sighing, "Look, I already talk to my family about it and they're behind me one hundred percent. You guys are my family too and I hope that you can support me as well."

Mercedes sat back in her chair, folding her arms across her chest, "It's not that we don't support you Josh, we do. We just don't want you to regret this decision in the future."

"You have so much potential Josh, so much..and honestly, it makes me feel really bad because I feel like I stripped you from doing anything when I ask for you to become my bodyguard." Sam admitted sadly as he looked at him. When Sam first got drafted, his manger, Brandon, had told him that it was necessary for him to have a bodyguard. So Sam asked Josh would he do it. See the thing was, Josh had opted to wait a year before he went to college and he did. But after awhile, he dropped out because it was getting too expensive, even with the help of his family. He thought hard about going to a community college but he decided against it. So he spent the next three years working and saving money. By the time he got enough to go back, it was at the same time that Sam had asked him to be his bodyguard.

"You didn't strip me from anything Sam okay? And I'm not going to regret my decision Mercedes, okay?" He said as he raised his voice a little. He was getting their point and everything that they were saying but why couldn't they understand that this was something that he wanted to do. He sat his fork down and stood up from his seat, needing to go take a breather, "I'm going to go unpack my stuff."

"Okay.." Mercedes whispered as she watched him walk away, turning to Sam, "I feel like a mom who just chastised her child." She watched as he gave a small smile and she reached over and grabbed his hand, "As much as I would love to see him go to school, he knows what he wants to do and we as his family should support any decision that he makes."

"I know but I can't help to feel like this is my fault. If I hadn't ask him for this favor, he could've been famous as hell for his paintings right now. I just feel like a bad friend."

"But you're not baby. You're a wonderful friend and have always been there for him that's why he decided that he wanted to be there for you." Mercedes leaned over and kissed his lips gently.

Sam sighed against her lips, looking into her eyes, "I know."

"Good. I'm going to go talk to him." She squeezed his hand as she stood up, making her way out the room.

* * *

 **A/N. I start college in exactly six days, I'm nervous & excited! With that being said, updates for all of my stories will be slow for the next couple of months but I promise that none of them will go unfinished! Leave me a review & let me know what you guys think of this update, :) **


	11. Sari's Date Night

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **Lexi Vega- Janina Gavankar**

 **You should definitely go to tumblr (twrites1) & check out Sari's outfits for the night. Enjoy. :)**

* * *

Mercedes ran her hand through her curly hair as she finished up last minute paperwork in her office. Tonight she was having dinner with the dean and other important staff members to talk about upcoming projects that she has come up with for the music department for this semester. She was super pumped about it and couldn't wait to share them with everyone.

"Hey boss lady, I got those papers you needed." A woman said with a smile as she stepped into the large office, making her to Mercedes' desk.

Mercedes turned around and smiled at her, taking the forms out of her hands, "Thank you so much Lexi."

"You're welcome. I also checked on the daycare for Arianna and all they need is your and Sam's signature." She smiled as she sat down in the chair, crossing her legs. Lexi was Mercedes' assistant. She met the woman a few weeks ago on a Skype call with the dean and when the two meet for the first time in person, they instantly connected.

"Dammit, I forgot to tell you not to worry about it but thank you anyways." Mercedes sent her a grateful smile as she she grabbed her purse from the counter and went through it, pulling out her lipstick tube.

Lexi looked at her confusedly, "Then where is Arianna going to go?"

"Our friend is going to watch her for us." She answered as she looked into the mirror, coating her lips with a red matte color. Hearing her phone, she slid the answer button and put it on speaker, "You're on speaker."

Sam rolled his eyes with a slight smirk on his face, putting his things into the truck, "It wasn't like I was going to say anything inappropriate."

Mercedes pursed her lips as she closed her compact mirror, "Sure you wasn't honey."

"Whatever _honey_." Sam mocked her with a small laugh, hooking up the car seat, "Hey Lexi."

Lexi snickered at the two and their banner, shaking her head, "Hi Sam."

"I was actually calling you and your dirty mind to let you know that me and Ari are about to leave the house."

Mercedes giggled at the name and leaned back into the chair, "Can you send me a picture of what she's wearing?"

Sam pursed his lips, letting out a playful sigh, "You don't trust me at all do you?"

"We had this discussion already." Mercedes laughed as looked at Lexi, who was gesturing that she was going to go ahead and head to the car.

"I might send you a picture later better yet, I taped the show for you to watch later on so you might see us in the crowd." Sam bit down on lip to suppress the laughter, knowing the he was about to get a good cussing out.

"Samuel Evans.." She started but was interrupted by her work phone going off, signaling to let her know it was time to go, "You better be lucky I have to go but please send me a picture. Have a great night, good luck and I love you."

"I love you too sweetheart, always and forever."

"Always and forever. See you later on." She waited for him to say goodbye before hanging up. Standing up from her desk, she grabbed her purse and turned off the lights and headed out. As soon as she got into the hallway, she heard her phone ding. Looking at it, she saw she had a text from Sam, so she opened it up and a small squeal escape her lips when she the picture, "Oh my god.."

* * *

"You ready cookie?" Sam looked at his daughter as he unbuckled his seatbelt, smiling when she smiled at him, he opened the door and got out.

The little girl smiled at him as she sat up in her car seat. Ari watched as her daddy got out the car and came to her side. Bouncing in her seat excitedly as he opened the door and started unbuckling her, she lifted up her arms for him to get her out.

Sam chuckled as he picked her up, kissing her cheek sweetly before he stepped back. He had caved in and sent Mercedes a picture of Ari and he was pretty proud of what he had done. He had dressed her in a red dress, that had pockets and white pattern on the chest area paired with a white cardigan with gold polka dots and buttons. She had on a pair of white flower sandals and a pair of small gold heart earrings. Her curly hair was pulled up and placed into a small bun. Sam also decided to do the whole matching thing so he had on a short sleeved red twill shirt paired with his blue jeans and white converses, "You look so beautiful baby girl."

Josh got out the passenger side and grabbed Ari's bag. Sam had asked him to tag along for the night since he didn't have any plans for the night.

"Sam Evans, wow I'm a huge fan. Are you doing the carpet?" One of the coordinators asked as she came up to the car, smiling at him flirtatiously as she placed her hand on his shoulder.

Arianna turned to the woman when she heard her talk, frowning deeply at her when she starting smiling at her daddy and touching his shoulder.

Josh raised a brow at the woman and snorted when he saw Ari's facial expression. This sweet girl was a exact replica of her mama and he couldn't believe that it was starting so early.

Sam kept a strain smile on his face as shook his shoulder a bit to get her hand off, "Yes we are. Now if you will excuse us."

"Us?" The coordinator finally took her eyes off of him and looked at the little girl in his arms, Ari's displeased face was oblivious to her, "Well aren't you a cutie." She moved pinched her chubby cheeks only to move her hand back quickly, "Ouch."

Ari pinched the woman's hand with all of the strength she had before she could even get close to her, letting out a huff, her adorable features turning into a glare.

Sam looked at his daughter in amusement, trying to hold in his laughter. He turned to the woman and began walking backwards, sending her a fake smile, "Sorry about that miss, she just woke up from a nap and she's a little cranky." He lied as he turned around and headed to the carpet, looking down at his daughter who was staring at him, he laughed, "Your mama is going to have a field day with this."

Arianna looked at him with a big smile and turned her attention back to the front. Hearing her daddy say smile, she did so for the cameras. Before they arrived, Sam had made sure that if they were going to take pictures, it was only going to be with two photographers. He didn't want the light to hurt his little girls' eyes nor overwhelm her. And with the respect from the event planners and photographers, they made sure to respect his request. After a few photos, he thanked them and made their way inside.

"Sam.." A voice called out from behind them when they got into the building.

Sam turned around and smiled when he saw who it was. It was his old teammate from Tampa, Steven.

Steven came up to him with a big smile, "What's up man?" He gave him a side hug, smiling at the little girl, "Hi Arianna, remember me?"

Arianna looked at the man with a small grin before laying her head down on her daddy's shoulder.

Sam laughed softy at her shyness as he kissed her forehead, looking back at him, "It's good to see you."

"You too. We miss you down in Tampa. It's not the same without you bro." Steven sighed as he placed his hands into his pockets, "I completely understand why you left. Jake and I was on the verge of doing so but then we got a new coach."

"I heard about that. I'm glad that you guys got rid of the toxin." He said honestly as he shifted Ari in his arms, "I had to get out there not only for me but for my family and to be real with you, it was the best decision I have ever made. I'm always going to support you guys, you know that."

"We know and the decision you made, it was the right thing for you to do." Steven said with a smile as he patted his shoulder, "Wish you nothing but the best. Keep in touch."

"I most definitely will." Sam said with a nod of his head, biding his old teammate and friend a goodbye. He turn around and headed to look for their seats, finding that they were in the front. He made his way down the aisle way, speaking to some of the people. He sat down and placed Ari in his lap, pulling his phone out of his pocket to text Mercedes back.

Josh opened up the small bag and handed her animal cracker. Seeing her eyes light up, he chuckled and watch her small hand grab the cracker and place it in her mouth. He handed her juice-filled sippy just as the host came through on the mic.

After about hour of laughing at the speeches, getting up and speaking to people during the commercial breaks, it was time for the best male athlete award. To be quite honest, Sam didn't care if he won or lost. He was just so honored that he was nominated. He kissed the side of his daughter's head, who was leaning back against him, watching the people curiously.

"Here are the nominees for the Best Male Athlete." The man said into the mic, looking behind him to the screen, each male that was nominated appearing on it. He turned back around and opened the envelope, "And the winner of this award goes to...none other than my man, Sam Evans."

The crowd clapped loudly for him. Sam was in shock that he actually won. He took a calming breath and sat Ari on the floor so he can stand up, picking her back up as he headed to the stage with her in his arms.

The presenter shook his hand, smiling at the duo before he moved to the back. Seeing that Sam had his hands full, he decided to hold the surf board until they got backstage.

Sam went up to the mic, trying to get his thoughts together. The crowd was still clapping and that made him a little emotional.

Arianna looked around at everyone and saw that they were clapping. She looked up at her daddy and smiled, beginning to take her small hands to do it as well, causing everyone to 'aww'.

Sam smiled at her, placing a light kiss on her nose, he cleared it throat just as the noise starting to fade down, "I really wasn't expected to be nominated let alone win this award so I didn't prepare a speech but I will speak from my heart. It was some great athletes that was up for this award but It's really an honor that I was chosen. I want to thank God first and foremost. I want to thank my supporters, without y'all this wouldn't be possible. You guys stuck with me through thick and thin and I love each and every one of you. Next, my haters, thank you for the bad stories and things you had to say, it really made me more determined, so thank you." He smiled when everyone cheered at that, softening up his tone, "I want to thank my loving wife, Mercedes, who couldn't be here tonight. Thank you for loving me and being there for me through whatever. I love you so much baby. And last but not least.." He paused and looked at his daughter, the cameras zooming in on the duo, "I want to thank my baby girl Arianna. She is my inspiration and she makes me the man that I am today. I'm so grateful that she set aside her nap time to be my date for this evening." The crowd erupted into laughter, causing Ari to do the same, "I love you Cookie Monster." He watched as she leaned up and hugged him around his neck, causing the crowd once again to aww and stand on their feet to clap them on, "Thank you guys again for making my NFL playing career one to remember." And with that, he gave them a wave before turning around and heading to the back. That chapter of his life was officially close and in the best way possible.

* * *

 **A/N. Short but sweet! What do you think of Lexi? Definitely not the last time you'll see her. How about Arianna pinching the woman lol? Sari's date night & Sam's speech? This is going to get continued into the next chapter & I will be doing a small time jump. Have a safe & fun Labor Day weekend. :) **


	12. Listening Is Key

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **Emily Stevens- Tessa Thomas**

 **Dylan Kane- Colton Haynes**

 **Derek Anderson- Mike Vogel**

 **Anthony Davis- Carlon Jeffery**

 **Kate Spencer- Emily Peterson**

 **FC's are on the tumblr page (twrites1)**

* * *

Mercedes giggled as she moved the covers back on the bed, getting in, she placed her bonnet on her head, "That is literally the most funniest thing ever."

Sam chuckled as he grabbed a T-shirt from the drawer, "I knew you would get a kick out of it." By the time Sam and Ari made it home from the awards show, Mercedes was already back from her dinner. After giving his tired little girl a bath, getting her into her pajamas and bed, she fell right to sleep, "It totally caught me off guard but it was funny as hell."

"That's my girl." Mercedes smirked as she laid against the pillows, watching him closely, "She knows thirstiness already and that's a very good thing. She has mommy's back when I'm not around."

"You're absolute nuts." Sam laughed as he climbed into bed, kissing her slowly on her lips, "But I love you."

"And I love you." Mercedes smiled as she kissed home again before moving away.

Sam pouted as she detached her lips from his, laying back on the bed beside her, "How was your dinner meeting?"

"It was great actually. Everyone loved my ideas I have for the program this semester, I'm excited." Mercedes said happily as she moved her hand to rub through his hair.

Sam wrapped his arms around her waist, snuggling into her side, "That's good babe, I think you're going to be amazing at this job."

Mercedes kissed his forehead before closing her eyes, "We both have jobs that are completely opposite to what we were doing before but I think it's going to be a great fit for us."

Josh made sure the lights where off before he headed upstairs for bed. He had gotten two paintings done today and although it felt great, he was super tired and wanted nothing more but to go to bed. Once he got to the top of the stairs, he made a right to Ari's room, peeping in, he saw the little girl fast to sleep and he smiled. Leaving a crack in the door, he walked across the hall to Sam and Mercedes' room, knocking on the door, he peeped his head in, "I was just coming to say goodnight."

"Come here for a second.." Mercedes said as she sat up in the bed, patting a spot in front of her so he could sit.

"What did I do now?" Josh frowned as he came in, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

Sam chuckled as he laid back down, rubbing his sleepy eyes, "Nothing yet.."

Mercedes hit Sam in his side, rolling her eyes before she looked over at Josh with a smile, "We just want to say that we are proud of you Josh."

"Yeah man.." Sam opened his eyes and looked at him, "The other day, we didn't want you to feel like we didn't support your decision because we do."

"We just don't want you to ever miss an opportunity."

"It's not like I didn't say I wasn't ever going to go back, I just said not right now." Josh took a deep breath, looking away from them, "Look, I have my reasons..and I'm just not ready to let you both know why, I hope you can respect that."

"And that's what we're trying to tell you. We respect your decision but every time we asked why you chose to do this you get defensive and shut us out." Sam said a little angry. He cared so much about his friend, he really did and he just wanted to know why he was not going to do something he was so excited to do a couple of weeks ago.

"Lets just calm down." Mercedes said as she interrupted them, telling they were both getting a little agitated, "We can talk about this tomorrow when everyone has gotten some rest."

"Fine, goodnight." Josh said quietly as he stood up from the bed, walking out the door.

Sam sighed as he looked over at his wife, "I didn't mean for it to come out like that."

Mercedes took a deep breath as she laid down, pulling the covers up on her, "Lets just get some rest."

Sam nodded silently as he leaned over and turned off the light, turning to the side, he wrapped his arm around her waist and press a kiss to her expose shoulder before closing his eyes, "I love you."

"I love you too." She said quietly as she closed her eyes and drifted off into a much needed sleep.

* * *

The next two weeks flew by for the family. Work was going good for both Mercedes and Sam. Mercedes have gone around and gotten to know some of the students in the department and she was really amazed at all the talent that was in there. This week, Sam was actually preparing for his first game of the season and his first game as a coach. He was both excited and nervous but mostly excited.

Mercedes kissed Ari's forehead as she sat her down to her feet, squatting down, she pointed out towards the field, "Go to daddy baby." Ari looked at where she was pointed and smiled, she began to take off into a wobbly run.

"Mrs. Evans.."

Mercedes smiled at her daughter before standing up, turning when she heard her name, "Hey."

"I'm sorry to bother you but is there any chance we could talk for a minute?"

"Sure Emily." Mercedes smiled at the cheerleader as she gestured to the bleachers, "Lets go sit."

Sam held the whistle in his mouth with his teeth as he looked at them, "I don't plan on being here all night but we can if you don't get it together." Since Sam was the offensive line coach, he did separate practices for them two days out the week. He sighed as he took a deep breath, blowing the whistle, "Alright stop..give me one sprint down the field." He raised his brow when he heard them groan, giving them a look, "Want to make it two?"

"No sir.."

"Thought so.."

"Daddie.." Arianna squealed as she finally made it to him, reaching her arms out for him with a big smile.

Sam smiled as he picked her up, kissing her cheek softly, "Hey my baby.." He chuckled when she wrapped her arms around his neck, squishing the side of her cheek against his, "Where's mommy?" Arianna looked at him, then behind him, pointing towards the bleachers. Sam turned his head and found her talking to one of the students, turning back to his daughter, he kiss her again and placed her on top of his shoulders, walking out to the middle of the field, "Come on Cookie Monster, let's go knock some sense into them."

Mercedes crossed her ankles as she turned to the side, placing her sunglasses on top of her head, "So what's up?"

"I have a couple of things I need to talk to you about but first, I just want to tell you how much of an positive impact you have made already on the music department. I mean, I'm a junior this year and every since my freshman year, we haven't had any excitement but since you have came, it's been amazing.."

Mercedes felt her heart swell up by the comments and she smiled, "Well thank you Emily."

Emily smiled as she tugged at her tank top, moving her hair behind her shoulder, "Another reason I wanted to talk to you is about my friend Anthony.."

"Anthony Davis? He's on the football them right?"

"Yeah, that's him." She said as she took a calming breath, running her hand through her hair, "I know he's going to be mad at me for talking to you this but I know he's not going to come to you at all. So I was wondering if you had time, could you talk to him? I don't think he would appreciate me telling you the problem but..I feel like it's long overdue and needs to be addressed."

Mercedes listened to what she was saying and she couldn't help but wonder what was going on but she nodded, "I'll call him in first thing tomorrow.."

Emily smiled as she leaned over and gave her a quick hug, "Thank you." She looked behind her and notice that the team was heading over to the other side of the field for practice, "I have to go but thank you again Mrs. Evans."

Mercedes nodded as she stood up from the bench and starting walking to the field where her husband and daughter was.

"ARIANNA!"

Sam watched as they came jogging back to midfield, chuckling when he heard the little girl giggle loudly and clapping her hands. Josh had started working an evening shift at the art gallery for the man who had hired him to create some paintings and he would drop Ari off with Sam or Mercedes on his way. When Arianna first came to practice, the team was in awe of the little girl and how sweet and personable she was already.

"She still doesn't like me." The quarterback, Dylan said as he winced when the little girl glared at him.

"Would you like someone who took away your lollipop?" Derek chipped in with a chuckle, making his way over to the bench. Derek was Sam's right hand man and the assistant offensive line coordinator. He is the one that sits in the booth and call plays for the offense through the headphones.

"I was going to give it back.."

"Well she didn't see it that way you as-jerk.." Anthony, the wide receiver, corrected himself as he patted his friend's back before holding out his hand for the little girl to give him a five.

Sam laughed as he shook his head, feeling Ari leaned downed and tapped Anthony's hand lightly, "Alright, lets run this play again." He turned around when he felt someone's hand on his back, smiling at his wife, "Hey baby.."

"Hey." Mercedes smiled as she leaned up and pressed a kissed to his lips before pulling back.

"Hey Mrs. Evans.."

"Hey guys.." Mercedes gave them a small wave before folding her arms across her chest, looking at her husband, "How are they doing?"

Sam scoffed as he pulled Ari from around his neck, holding her in his arms before he gave Mercedes a glance, "Why don't you watch and find out.."

Mercedes placed her sunglasses on to block the sun from her eyes, turning to the front to see them run the play. She watched them closely, ear eyebrows knitting up in confusion, "Didn't you tell them not to do that?"

"Only a thousand times.." Derek called out from his seat on the bench, his eyes focusing on the clipboard in front of him.

"Maybe they'll figure it out Saturday when they lose their first game.." Sam looked down at her with a small smile, an idea popping into his head almost instantly, "Or maybe you should go and tell them. You have a way of making people listen to you, whether it's by captivating them with your singing or just talking to people in general."

Mercedes smiled up at him before kissing his cheek, she grabbed the whistle from around his neck and blew it, earning a giggle from their daughter as she covered her ears.

"Everyone listen up.." Sam called out as he sat Ari down to her feet, the little girl immediately wrapping herself around his leg, causing Derek to laugh.

Mercedes walked further onto the field, watching as they stopped, "With the way you guys are playing, not listening to your coaches or communicating with each other, you're going to lose Saturday, matter of fact, you're going to lose all your games." She turned to Dylan, "You have to communicate with your teammates, if you don't, they're going to be completely lost. And you can't keep throwing when their back is still turned or overthrowing. There's a higher chance that you're going to throw an interception when you do so. Hand me the ball.." She waited until the ball was given to her, pointing to Anthony and three other boys, "Terrance and Anthony offense, Harold and Deontae, defense. Pretend that you're going to throw it to T but you are really throwing it to Ant. Run."

The players watched on curiously before their facial expression turned into a shock one. They watched as Mercedes did exactly what she said do and they were even more surprised that she was able to throw to ball at all.

Sam watched on with a smirk. One of the millions of things he loved about his wife is that she knew her football, hell she knew any sport but football, she had it down pack and that was a big turn on for him. He looked at their daughter, who was looking on as well, "Mommy is cool isn't she?"

Anthony turned around and caught the ball with ease, making his way to the end zone. He turned around, mouth agape just like everyone else, "It worked.."

Derek snickered when he saw the looks on their faces, nodding his head, "She's a smart woman."

Mercedes smirked, "You guys need to communicate. Dylan, you need to talk to your players and let them know what's going on, especially your receivers." She turned around and picked up Ari, giving Sam a quick kiss before she gave them a glance, "And listen to your coach, he knows what he's talking about."

Sam folded his arms across his chest, raising a brow, "Now, are we ready to actually play some football?" He watched as they nodded quickly, hurriedly making their way back into position.

"Dude, how the hell did she throw that ball that far?" Dylan whispered to Anthony as they walked.

Anthony shrugged, still in shocked, "I dunno man..I dunno."

Sam laughed when he heard them, looking back at his wife and daughter, who was sitting on the bleachers. Their eyes locked together and he smiled, sending her wink before he place the whistle back in his mouth and continued on with practice.

* * *

"Isn't that like two thousand dollars?" Mercedes asked as she moved the chopsticks in her box of noddles, looking at the person through computer.

"Well yeah but.."

"But nothing Stevie." Mercedes giggled as she shook her head, pointing her small finger at him, "Your dad is going to kill you."

"Mercedes, you are suppose to lie to me and say, 'Oh Stevie, everything is going to be okay.." just to make me feel better but you're only making it worse." He whined as he looked at her with a pout, running his hand through his hair.

Mercedes threw her head back in laughter at her brother in law, "I'm sorry, you know I'm going to keep it real with you, no matter how much you hate it."

"You know what, lets just change the subject. How is my niece doing?"

"She is doing just fine actually." Mercedes smiled at the thought of her little girl, moving some of the noddles to her mouth, chewing hungrily.

"That's good. I miss you guys like crazy. I can't wait until Thanksgiving."

"I know right. I'm so excited that we're all going to be together." Mercedes said with a smile. This year, everyone was coming out to California to celebrate Thanksgiving with them. Mercedes was truly excited because this was going to be their first Thanksgiving in their new home. Mercedes came out of her thoughts when she heard a knock on the door, gesturing for him to come in, she turned back to her computer, "I have a meeting so I'll call you back tonight. Love you."

"Love you too." Stevie waved before ending the connection.

"You wanted to see me?"

"I did, have a seat.." Mercedes said as she sat her food aside, watching as he sat his book bag beside him and sat down in the chair, "How are you doing Anthony?"

"I'm fine..I guess."

"Doing good in your classes? And don't lie, I can always pull them up myself.." Mercedes smirked as she leaned back in her chair.

Anthony laughed as he folded his hands in his lap, "I'm struggling a little in Physics but everything else I'm doing good in."

"You should ask your teacher for help or get a tutor.."

"Yes ma'am."

Mercedes sat up and scanned his face, "From my understanding, you're getting a degree in music performance and you where in the A cappella group and the choir but you quit. Why was that?"

Anthony sighed as he shifted his eyes away, his fist balling against his pants, "I been having problems with the directors for awhile now.."

"Care to elaborate?"

"Mrs. Evans, I'm going to keep it hundred with you." He looked at her, his face slightly twisted up in an angry expression, "They are all racist. They want us to do all these songs by Taylor Swift or Katy Perry but we couldn't do one by any black person. Not that I have anything against pop songs because I love Taylor Swift's music, it's just the disrespect that black people in that class was getting. We could not express ourselves through our music and I felt like that wasn't fair at all."

Mercedes listened to what he was saying and she honestly wasn't surprised by it. Some people in this world was still stuck back in the 50s and she hated that, "I completely understand why you quit and now that I do, I don't blame you. You see Anthony, directors go with those choices because the pop culture is very popular but for them not to have any diversity, that's wrong and as you can tell, that really pisses me off but don't worry about it. What people fail to realize is that our culture is art and black music is just as popular, if not more. This will definitely get taken care of."

"You know, every since you have came here the vibe has completely changed. It's like, everything just seems lighter and more fun. Plus, you actually take out time to come check on everyone in this department, not just students but teachers, and you make sure that we are good. You actually care about us and our futures."

"It's not a front, it's just the type of person I am. I want to see all of you do good and make it, especially the ones like me. My grandma always told me and my brother when we were younger, stay focus on your education and make sure you do your best because it's people out there that doesn't want to see you succeed. And she was right. But what she said stayed stuck in my head, I accomplish everything I wanted and I am still doing that today." She gave him a small smile before continuing, "That's all I wanted to talk to you about today and you should thank your friend Emily, she is the one who ask me to talk to you but she didn't tell me what for."

"Figures." He laughed softly as he stood up, grabbing his backpack and headed to the door, not before turning around and giving her a smile, "Thank you for the talk, I really needed it."

Mercedes nodded as she picked up her box, "My door is always open if you need anything.."

"I'll keep that in mind.." He gave her a nod before walking out, speaking to the girl that was heading in.

Mercedes heard another knock at the door and she looked up, "Hey."

"Hi, I'm sorry to pop in but are you busy?" The girl asked with an apologetic look.

"No, come in Kate."

Kate smiled as she came in, walking over to the desk, she handed her a piece of paper, "This is the set list for our concert next month and I was wondering if I could ask you a favor.."

"Go on.." Mercedes said as she looked over the songs, waiting for her to start talking again.

"The freshman girls that came this year have amazing voices and that's something we needed. We are suppose to perform at the pep rally on Friday and they are freaking out and are refusing to do it. I was wondering, I know you have an incredible voice and I know for sure you can give the the confidence they need, so can you come to our practice tomorrow?"

"I have a meeting at nine but I can make it. You guys still practice at eleven right?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Okay then." Mercedes handed her back the paper with a smile, "These look good and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Thank you Mrs. Evans." Kate smiled brightly before she walked out the office.

Mercedes smiled as she went back to her food, hearing her computer ding, she laughed out loud when she saw it was Stevie again, "This boy is going to drive me crazy.."

* * *

 **A/N. Don't think I've have forgotten but everything that's going on with Josh will be addressed next update and you will definitely get that flashback with Ari calling Sam 'Dada' for the first time. Hope you enjoyed this update. :)**


	13. Invincible

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **INVINCIBLE-KELLY CLARKSON**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

Mercedes pulled her hair back into a ponytail as she walked down steps, squinting her eyes as the sun blared down in her face. She pulled her phone out of her pocket when it started vibrating, looking down at the reminder that she had a meeting at one. She looked around the union until she spotted the girls in the grass. She began walking over to them with a smile, "Hey ladies."

"Hey Mrs. Evans, thank you so much for coming." Kate said with a smile on her face, turning to the girls, "You already know the rest of the girls, who should be here in a few, but I want you to meet the newbies. This is Kaylee, Ally, Charissa and Serena."

The girls waved at the woman, you could easily see how nervous they all were.

"I just want you to know that being scared is normal and it's okay." Mercedes folded her arms as she leaned against the tree, looking at them, "I want you each to tell me what's so different about being in this group than from high school."

"Well for one, we sang in a big group."

Ally said as she looked at Mercedes, wringing her hands nervously.

"Yeah and we never had individual parts." Charissa said as she pulled her hair behind her ear nervously, "This is so different and something that is new to all of us."

"Confidence is key. Once you have found your confidence, you can do anything." Mercedes gestured the crowded union in the middle of the school, "This is your goal for today. It's crowded right now and this is the best place to get rid of your fears." She saw them looking over her shoulder at the people, turning to the side, she gestured for the boys to start playing. She asked a few of her students if they could play their instruments for her so that she could perform to give these girls a boost of confidence.

 _You know I was broke down, I had hit the ground_

 _I was crying out, couldn't make no sound_

 _No one hears silent tears collecting_

 _You know I had lost hope, I was all alone_

 _Never been so low 'til you came along_

 _Teacher, I feel the dots connecting_

Mercedes smiled as she walked backwards, gaining people's attention. She gestured for them to come on, looking over at the drummer with a smile.

 _Beat down on me, beat down like a waterfall_

 _Cause I can take on so much more than I had ever dreamed_

 _So beat down on me, beat down like a waterfall_

 _'Cause baby, I am ready to be free_

Mercedes grabbed two girls hands who were sitting on the bench and twirled then around, causing them to laugh.

 _Now I am invincible_

 _No, I ain't a scared little girl no more_

 _Yeah, I am invincible_

 _What was I running for_

 _I was hiding from the world_

 _I was so afraid, I felt so unsure_

 _Now I am invincible_

 _And I'm a perfect storm_

Anthony was walking from one of his classes when he saw everyone running to the union. Hearing music, his ears perked up when he heard the familiar voice. Walking towards the end of the stairs, he saw that it was his coach's wife, "Is there anything this lady can't do?"

 _Now I am a warrior, a shooting star_

 _You know I got this far, I had a broken heart_

 _No one hears silent tears collecting_

 _'Cause it's being weak that's strong_

 _In the truth I found_

 _I have courage now, I'm gonna shout it out_

 _Teacher, I feel the dots connecting_

Sam was heading to his office until he heard singing and live instruments. When he heard everything clearer, he knew exactly who that voice belonged to. He smirked as he turned around and walked towards the stairs, smiling when he found her. Mercedes did say that she was helping a girl group with confidence today but she didn't tell him exactly what she was going to do to help them.

 _Beat down on me, beat down like a waterfall_

 _'Cause I can take on so much more than I had ever dreamed_

She smiled as she went by the group of violinist who was playing for her.

 _So beat down on me, beat down like a waterfall_

 _'Cause baby, I am ready to be free_

 _Now I am invincible_

 _No, I ain't a scared little girl no more_

 _Yeah, I am invincible_

 _What was I running for_

 _I was hiding from the world_

 _I was so afraid, I felt so unsure_

 _Now I am invincible_

 _And I'm a perfect storm_

She smiled as the boy help her on top of the table, finding Sam, she looked at him and sung.

 _I was running from an empty threat_

 _Of emptiness_

 _I was running from an empty threat_

 _That didn't exist_

 _I was running from an empty threat_

 _Of abandonment_

 _I was running from an empty threat_

 _That didn't exist_

Sam nodded along as he listened to her sing. Hearing that part, he knew what she was singing about. He sent her a warm smile as he leaned against the wall, watching as everyone cheered her on.

 _But now I am invincible_

 _No, I ain't a scared little girl no more_

 _Yeah, I am invincible_

 _What was I running for_

 _I was hiding from the world_

 _I was so afraid, I felt so unsure_

 _Now I am invincible_

 _And I'm a perfect storm_

 _Now I am invincible_

 _No, I ain't a scared little girl no more_

 _Yeah, I am invincible_

 _What was I running for_

 _I was hiding from the world_

 _I was so afraid, I felt so unsure_

 _Now I am invincible_

 _And I'm a perfect storm_

* * *

Josh took a deep breath as he locked the front door to the house. Sitting his stuff down, he closed his eyes for a second before pushing off the door, making his way towards the kitchen. He smiled faintly when he saw the small family sitting down at the table and eating, "Hey."

"Where have you been?" Mercedes asked curiously as she held Ari in her lap, feeding the sleepy little girl one of her favorites, mashed bananas. She had been worried about him. She knew that he had been off for an hour but he didn't call. Not that he had too because he's grown, but he always did to let them know when he was on his way home but tonight he didn't.

"I'm sorry I didn't call." He said as he sat down at the table, looking at them both. He knew what he was about to say was going to make them upset but he needed to let them know.

"Why do you look like you're about to say something that we're not going to like?" Sam asked curiously, raising a brow at him.

"Because he is." Mercedes squinted her eyes, shifting her daughter in her lap.

Josh was about to say what was on his mind but was interrupted by the doorbell. Hearing Sam say he would get it, he sighed as he avoided eye contact with Mercedes. This was not going to end well.

Mercedes smiled down at her daughter when the little girl touched her cheek, looking up when she heard footsteps, "Hey, what are you doing here?"

Josh turned around to see who she was talking to. Looking at the unfamiliar woman confusedly, he looked back between Mercedes and Sam.

"Sorry to just barge in like this." Lexi said nervously as she pulled something out of her pocket and handed it to her, "One of the students brought this to me after your performance."

"Oh my god, thank you." She let out a small laughed as she grabbed her pager that she needed for work, "I've been looking for it since then."

"What performance?"

"Mercedes broke out in song in the union this morning." Sam laughed as he sipped some of his water down.

"I didn't exactly break out into song babe. I was teaching a group of girls about confidence and part of my plan just so happen to include a song." Everyone laughed at the woman, causing Ari to do the same. Calming down from her laughter, she looked at Lexi and Josh, "How rude of me not to introduce you two. Josh this is my assistant Lexi and Lexi, this is one of our dearest and best friends, Josh."

"It's nice to meet you." Their voices ran out together, causing them both to laugh before shaking each other's hand.

Lexi smiled at the man before taking her small hand back, clearing her throat a bit.

Sam smirked at the interaction before going back to his food, looking at Mercedes knowingly.

"Well I should get going, I just wanted to give you that." Lexi said with a smile as she looked at the family.

"You're welcome to stay for dinner." Sam said as he gestured to all the food.

"No I wouldn't want to imposed, thank you anyways." She smiled as she looked at Josh, "It was nice meeting you."

"You too." He said with a small smile before turning back around in his seat.

"I'll walk you out." Mercedes said as she stood up, handing Ari to Sam. She placed her hands in her pockets as she walked with her to the front door.

Josh reached over and grabbed the spoon and scooped up some potatoes on his plate, feeling eyes on him, he looked over and saw Sam and Ari staring at him with the same expression, "Why are you two looking at me like that?"

"Because we can." Sam said as he kissed his daughter's forehead, "You're being suspicious and we want to know why."

"And you're going to tell us right now." Mercedes said as she came back in, leaning against the doorframe as she looked at their friend.

Josh sighed as he sat his fork down, looking between them nervously, "I've been thinking a lot lately and I know you're going to be pissed at what I'm about to say but...I think it's time for me to get my own place."

Sam shook his head as he took a deep breath, grabbing Ari's sipping cup and handing it to her, "So we're going here again?"

"I've been living with you guys since college. You two are married now and you have a child. You're building your life and I can't help but feel like I'm interfering with that. I honestly feel like a freeloader."

"If I had something to throw at your head, I would." Mercedes glared at him as she crossed his arms, "Josh, you know we love you. You're are apart of our family and I hate that you feel like this."

"I'm twenty seven. I've haven't had my on place yet, I haven't had a real relationship. My life is passing me by and I feel like this is something I need to do."

"In Tampa and here, you basically have your own side of the house and as much privacy as you like. So you really can't say that's the problem."

"I know that Sam but I think it's time for me to be out on my own. It's time for me to grow up like everyone else and have responsibilities. I have a good job and I think I've saved up enough to get an apartment. It's time. You guys know I love you but I can't depend on you for the rest of my life." He said softly, looking down at his plate, not wanting to see the looks on their faces.

"If he wants to leave, who are we to stop him." Mercedes said as she looked at him with a strained smile as she grabbed Arianna from Sam, leaving out room, "Wish you nothing but the best, Joshua."

"Mercedes." Sam called out trying to stop her but she kept on walking up the stairs.

Josh sat back in a huff, shaking her head, "I don't understand why she's mad."

"You know Mercedes is a very loving person Josh, you know this. To her, this is the only complete family she has ever had. Back when you first starting living with us, she told me this was more than a family she has ever had. Although she had her brother and stepmom, she just felt complete with us and our friends. We are her family and you may think she's selfish for not wanting this for you but in her mind, she feels apart of her family is falling apart."

"I never thought of it that way."

"Many people don't. Mercedes is complex. You have to break her down into different sections to understand her." Sam sighed as he stood up to clear the table and put up the food up, "But like we both said before Josh, we want you to live your dreams. And if moving out and getting you own place is apart of that, then go for it. We're here to support you, just like a family suppose to." Sam gave him a smile as he patted his shoulder before leaving out the room.

Josh gave him a half-smile as he left. He sat there for a moment in deep thought, thinking about what Sam just said and how it made a lot of sense. Although in his heart he wanted to stay, he knew that he had to do this for himself.

* * *

 **A/N. It's been awhile but I'm so glad to be back. School has been hectic but now I'm off for a month for Christmas break! Hope you enjoyed this short update, just wanted to give you something to get back into the swing of things. Mercedes helping out the girls were amazing (BTW, I love that song.) Was those sparks flying between Josh & Lexi? What do you think about Josh's decision to move out? Oh & before anyone jumps down my throat and says Mercedes doesn't have the right to be upset and she's being selfish, it was explained by Sam in the chapter, so don't come for me! BTW, I have a special surprise that I will be announcing tomorrow on tumblr (twrites1) check it out! Have a wonderful & safe weekend. :)**


	14. Big Changes

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

Mercedes smiled as she put the small leggings on her little girl, laughing as she looked at her in amusement, "You're so beautiful Ari." She picked her daughter up from the bed and sat her down to her feet, watching as she walked over to Rocky.

Sam watched as the movers came in and out of his house with a sigh. Josh had just dropped a bomb on them last night and less than 24 hours later, people was here to move his bed and other things out the house. He didn't think he was going to move out this fast.

Josh nodded once the mover grabbed the last of his things out the room. Taking a deep breath, he gave it one final look before closing the door.

 _"It's pretty cool right?" Sam looked at his best friend with a smile as he showed him the house that he was planning to buy._

 _"It's huge as hell Sam." Josh said as he stared in amusement._

 _"I know but I think it's a perfect fit." Sam said as clicked off the browser, turning back to his friend, "For you too.."_

 _Josh crinkled up his nose, looking at his friend confusedly, "What are you talking about?"_

 _"I'm talking about you coming and living with us. Since you're sacrificing a lot for me right now, it only right for me to have you live with us."_

 _"Sam, I couldn't impose on you and Mercedes like that.."_

 _"You're not imposing..this is something we both wanted." Sam could see he was not going to agree so he clicked the browser back up, going to one of the images, "This whole area is downstairs in the back corner. It has a bedroom, your own bathroom and office. You'll have this whole space to yourself."_

 _Josh looked at him in shocked, shaking his head, "Seriously?"_

 _Sam chuckled as he nodded, "You're our family man..always will be."_

Josh came out of his thoughts when heard the man say they were done. He handed him the address and told him he would be down in a minute. He walked down the hallway when he heard Ari babbling on, knocking on the already opened the door, he saw Mercedes sitting on the floor with her and Rocky, "Hey."

Mercedeswatched as Ari got up and went to her uncle. She moved her hair behind her ear as she stood up, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Arianna." He smiled as he picked up the girl, laughing when she laid her forehead on his.

"You don't have to worry about getting her in the mornings anymore." Mercedes said quietly, avoiding eye contact with him.

Josh frowned as he looked at her, "Why?"

"I don't want to inconvenience you anymore than I have too." She said as she turned around and went to her drawer to grab something.

Josh sighed as he looked at the little girl, who was looking at him curiously, "Don't be like this Mercedes."

"I'm not being anything Joshua. You live twenty minutes away now, I wouldn't want you to drive all the way over here and drive back to your place every morning." Mercedes gave him a glance before moving pass him and going downstairs.

Josh rolled his eyes as he followed behind her, rubbing the little girl's back as he walked down the stairs. He took a deep breath as he looked at Ari, "I'm going to miss you short stuff."

Arianna looked at her uncle Josh with a slight pout as if she knew what he was saying. She took her small arms and wrapped them around his neck.

Sam came out the kitchen when he heard Josh talking to Ari, seeing the little girl reaction, he knew for sure this was going to be hard for both of them. He looked behind them and saw Mercedes sitting on the couch. He knew that this was going to be hard for her too but he had hoped she would at least be a little happy for their friend.

"It's not like I won't be around." Josh made sure he made it clear to them, looking over at Mercedes, who was making sure she ignored him. He sighed and turned back to Sam, kissing Ari's cheek before handing her to Sam, "Guess I'll go."

"Like I said, I wish you nothing but the best."

"Can't really tell if you mean it or not.." Josh pursed his lips as he looked at her, seeing the look on her face, he knew he shouldn't have let that left his mouth.

Mercedes let out a humorless laugh as she stood up, "Wow..I may be upset with you for moving out but I would NEVER not want you to be happy nor great at whatever you decide to do." She shook her head as she walked up the stairs and back to her room.

Sam looked between the two and sighed, looking down at Ari, who was reaching for her mother, "Hold on sweetheart."

Josh wiped the tear that fell from his eye, shaking his head, "I didn't want this to be like it is."

"I know and she knows that Josh. She's just emotional as hell right now and I don't know why..but I will find out."

"momma." Arianna crinkled her nose up, her eyes starting to water as she looked up the stairs for Mercedes.

"Don't cry Ari." Sam said as he looked at his little girl, wiping her tears and placing a kiss on her cheek, "I'm about to take you to her."

Josh watched as the little girl gave him a look before laying her head down on her dad. He looked at Sam as he picked up his last bag, "I'll see you tomorrow for the game. Good luck."

"Thanks man." Sam said as he gave him a smile, walking behind him to the door, "Be careful."

"I will and Sam?" He turned to him as he got outside the door, looking at him dead in his eyes, "Thank you for everything."

"You don't have to keep thanking me." He watched as he nodded and turned around. Sam gave him one final wave before closing and locking the front door. He balanced Ari on his side as he traveled back up the stairs and to the bedroom. Seeing his wife sitting on the bed, he laid Ari down at the foot and watched her crawl to her.

Mercedes looked up when she saw her daughter, frowning a bit when she saw tears, "Cookie are you crying?" She picked her up and the one year old immediately wrapped her arms around her neck, clearing catching Mercedes off guard.

"I think she can sense when you're sad." Sam said as he sat beside her, moving her hair back behind her ear, "I know you're upset but are you really going to stop Josh from keeping her in the morning?"

"It's not a malicious thing I'm doing, honest. I really don't want him driving back and forth every morning to get her."

Sam looked at her confusedly, "That's truly not a good enough reason Mercedes."

"It's a good enough reason for me Sam." Mercedes stressed, trying not to raise her voice at him. The last thing she wanted to do was fight with him. She took a calming breath, rubbing their daughter's back, "Tina is going to keep her. She already agreed so it's taken care of."

Sam didn't know what to say. It felt like it was more than Josh moving out that had his wife like this but she wouldn't tell him. He decided for the sake of having to sleep on the couch he would let it go for now, "Okay."

Mercedes gave him a glance before standing up with their now sleep daughter, making her way to the door, "I'm going to put her in her bed." She kissed her forehead as she walked across the hall, pushing the door opened with her hip. She walked into the room and laid her down into her crib, pulling the blankets over her small body. She looked down at her and wiped a tear that managed to slip from her eye, whispering, "I love you Arianna Nicole and hopefully you will understand when you get older that the things I do for you now is only because I want the best for you." She moved her curly hair back with a soft smile before walking out the room.

* * *

Lexi stood inside the stadium, scrolling down her emails as she waited for Mercedes. Today was the first game of the season and the atmosphere was absolutely amazing.

Josh was texting his little sister as he walked. She was begging him to come home for Thanksgiving because she missed him. He was happy that she was asking because he had planned on going anyways. He was so focus on the text, he didn't realize he had bumped into someone until he grabbed the person's arms so they wouldn't fall, "I'm so sorry."

Lexi felt someone grabbed her when they bumped into her, looking up, she saw it was Josh, "Um..hey."

"Hey." Josh said as he looked at her with a small smile, letting go of her arms, "Sorry about that."

"It's okay." She said with a smile of her own, moving her hair from out of her face, "How are you?"

"I'm doing good and you?"

"Good." Lexi said as she rocked back and forward on her heels awkwardly as she looked around, "I'm just waiting for Mercedes."

"Oh okay..well, I guess I should go find my seat." Josh said as he lifted his ticket up, "If I can find it."

"Let me see." She absently moved closer to him so she could see, looking at his ticket, she looked back up at him, "You're actually sitting by us."

"Great..hopefully Mercedes is not still pissed at me." He muttered that last part out before clearing his throat, he sent her a smile, "Would you like anything from the concession?"

Lexi looked at him and politely shook her head, "No thank you but thank you."

Josh nodded as he gave her one final look before walking away, "I'll be back."

Mercedes stood in front of a nervous looking Sam outside of the locker room, running her hand through his hair, chuckling, "You being nervous is making me nervous."

"I'm not nervo..I can't even finish that lie." He said as he shifted Ari in his arms, looking down at her with a smile, "I love you and your shirt, Cookie Monster."

Ari looked at her daddy, leaning up to squish his lips together with her small hands. Arianna had on a USC's cardinal color shirt that said _'My daddy is the coach'_ with gold writing paired with her blue jean shorts and white converses. Her short curly hair was braided back into two small French braids.

"I got a wonderful feeling that you guys are going to do good and you are going to be amazing." She smiled as she leaned up and placed a soft kiss to his lips.

"Another one." He muttered across her lips as he bent down and pressed against hers again, whining when she pulled back so quickly.

Mercedes giggled as she grabbed Ari out of his arms, laughing at the pout on both of their lips, "I can't handle you two at all."

Sam smirked at her as he kissed his daughter's cheek, doing the same to Mercedes, "And you look beautiful as well. I'm really digging these jeans, they make you look thicker and I like that."

"Goodbye Samuel." She giggled as she pushed his shoulder, shaking her head as she started to walk backwards, "Good luck babe."

"Thank you, I love you."

"Love you more." She sent him a smile before walking up the steps, kissing Ari's forehead as she took the side steps to get to their seats quicker. Seeing Mike, Tina and Austin, she smiled as she made her way to them, "You guys get in okay?"

"Easy breezy." Tina said as she leaned down and gave her friend a hug, Mike doing the same.

Austin eyes brighten up when he saw them, he got up from his seat and walked in front of his parents to get to the two, "Auntie Sadie, can I hold Ri-Ri?"

"You sure can buddy, have a seat." She chuckled when the six year made him a seat by his dad and waited for his friend. Since moving to California, both Austin and Arianna became inseparable. The two had a bond much like Austin and Mercedes. He referred to Arianna as his little cousin, giving her the nickname 'Ri-Ri', and vowing to protect her at all costs.

Ari squealed when her mother sat her in Austin's lap, she looked at the boy with a big grin, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

Mike and Tina awed at the two while Mercedes pulled her phone out of her pocket, sending Lexi a text to let her know to come on in then switched it to the camera. Stepping down one row, she stood up in front of them, "Say cheese you two." She watched with a giggle as they both smiled big, snapping a couple pictures, "You guys are adorable." She selected one of the photos as she went to take her seat, posting it on Instagram and Twitter, captioning it with ' _These two cousins are ready to watch daddy & uncle Sammie coach his first football game.'_

"Hey guys." Josh greeted once he finally made it to the seats.

"Hey man." Mike said as he stood up and gave his friend a hug, "It's good seeing you."

"You guys as well." He smiled as he looked over at Austin and Ari, "Hey you two."

"Hi uncle Josh." Austin said sweetly with a smile much like his father's.

Tina looked behind Josh with a raised brow, looking at the woman curiously, "And you are?"

"Oh, sorry." She blushed as she held out her hand, "I'm Lexi, Mercedes' assistant at work."

Mike nodded to her as he shook her hand, "It's nice to meet you." He looked over at Mercedes, who was putting all her attention on her phone. He could feel the tension in the air and he had no idea why it was there.

"How are you Mercedes?" Josh asked politely as he sat down in his seat, looking down at the younger woman.

"Good." She said shortly, her eyes never leaving her phone as she finished texted out her text.

Tina looked between them and looked at her husband. She pulled out her phone and went to her notes section, opening a clean page, she typed out something and gestured for Mike to read.

Mike looked at what his wife had typed out and it all made sense now. He looked over to Mercedes and decided to break the tension, "Is Sam nervous Cedes?"

Mercedes replied back to Quinn text with a smile, looking over at Mike, a giggle escaped her mouth, "I think nervous is an understatement. He didn't sleep at all last night."

"I can't believe he's nervous though." Lexi said in amusement as she looked at Mercedes, "He has played in front of thousands of people."

"You do have a point Lex. It is weird that he's nervous about coaching but at the same time, he has the right to be. This is going to be his first time doing something other than playing football." Mercedes smiled a bit as she moved her hair behind her ear, "Wouldn't you be nervous too?"

"I know I would be. It's a huge difference between the two." Mike said matter of factly, placing an arm around his wife.

"Sam's going to do great." Josh said as he looked each one of them.

"I have to agree." Tina said with a smile as she turned to look on the field.

Mercedes smiled at her, hearing the band starting to play, she looked over to Ari as she began to clap her hands. She laughed as she stood up and clapped her hands, yelling with the crowd as the team ran out on the field.

Sam thanked one of the team mangers as he gave him his headset, placing it on his head, he immediately heard the voice of the man who was going to be his extra eyes and ears.

"Sam Evans, are you ready for your first game as a coach?" Derek smiled as he grabbed his cup of water, sipping it down as he opened up his playbook.

"Too late to back out now right?" Sam joked as he walked down the sideline, gathering his starters up.

"Way too late my friend." Derek said as he reached over and grabbed a pen from the defensive coordinator, "You got this though. I'm going to be with you at all times, so just think of this as your second marriage."

Sam chuckled as he shook his head, "I don't think my wife would like that." He looked up at the crowd and instantly found the two he was looking for, sending his girls a wink, he turned back to his group, "Alright y'all, let's start this season off right. I want you to go out and play hard. We going to start strong and we are going to do finish strong. Trust each other because you are all you have out on that field." He heard the whistle blow for the game to began and he wrapped up his speech, ending it with their hands in a huddle before the broke off. He turned around and crossed his arms over his chest as he watched the other them kick off. Here we go.

* * *

 **A/N. Let's start from the beginning. Surely I bet most of you are saying Mercedes is being a bitch but she's not. She's just stubborn and has a lot going on with her that's she not telling anyone (it will be revealed next update) & this has a big impact on why she's treating Josh like she is. Do you really think something will go down with Lexi & Josh? Can't forget Ari. This sweet little munchkin knows when her parents are upset and that make her upset as well! Merry Christmas, everyone! :) **


	15. Family Crisis

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

Mercedes moved her hair to the side as she placed Arianna in her lap, kissing her cheek as she watched her grab a chip from the basket and place it in her mouth. They had decided to grab dinner after the game to celebrate Sam's first win as a coach. She was so happy and proud of her husband for accomplishing so much in this one day.

"That was a really great game." Tina said as she placed her purse on the back of the chair, sitting her phone on the table.

Mike nodded as he ran his chip through the guacamole dip, "It was, it really kept me on my toes the whole time."

"I agree." Mercedes said with a smile as she looked at Ari, who was looking at her uncle Mike, trying to repeat his actions.

"I have a feeling you're not going to like it." Mike smirked as he watched the one year old scoop up a small amount of dip and placed it in her mouth, watching as she made a face, "Told you."

Arianna frowned as she took her hand and wiped her tongue, looking at her mother with a pout. Mercedes chuckled as she grabbed her sippy cup and handed it to her.

Josh laughed at the little girl as he sipped down on his drink. She was truly a character and he missed her dearly..he missed all of them actually. He sighed as he looked over to the door when it opened, a smiled appearing on his face, "There he is, congratulations coach."

Sam blushed deeply when they all clapped for him as he walked up to the table, "Thank you guys." He went around the table and gave each of them a hug, dropping a kiss to Ari's forehead and to Mercedes' lips.

"I already ordered for you." Mercedes said softly as she watched him take a seat beside her.

"Thank you my love." He said sweetly as he gave her another kiss, looking down at their daughter, who had a big frown on her face, "What's wrong with you?"

Tina finished up the last of her margarita, laughing at the question Sam asked his daughter, "Curious bug over there ate some guac."

Sam chuckled as he picked Ari out of Mercedes' lap, kissing her cheek before tickling her sides, earning a giggle from her.

"So Sam, how does it feel to get your first win as a coach?" Josh asked curiously as he looked at his best friend.

"It feels great, really good. I know it's just the first game but I'm happy. We have a lot of things to work on but I think we did good."

"You guys did, I'm really proud." Mercedes said with a smile as he kissed his cheek before going back to her drink.

"Thank you babe and thank you guys for coming, it means a lot." He said as he looked at their friends before frowning when he noticed someone was missing, "Where's Austin?"

"He had a birthday party to go to after the game so my cousins took him." Tina said just as the waitress came with their food.

Sam watched as Ari clapped and he couldn't help but laugh at his little girl, "You must be hungry cookie?" He snorted when she nodded, shaking his head, he looked over at his friend, "How's the apartment Josh?"

"It's great. More spacious than I thought. Neighbors are legit cool and it's in a nice area. I was hoping that you guys could come over and check it out." He said with a smile, directing the last part towards Mercedes mostly.

"We will. As long as you're happy, I'm happy for you." Sam said as he gave him a smile before looking at his wife, who was ignoring them and putting her avocado ranch dressing over her salmon salad.

Tina placed a fry in her mouth, "That's great Josh, maybe Mercedes and I could throw you a little apartment-warming party."

"Thanks Tina but no thanks." Josh said as he looked at the woman before looking at Mercedes, "I don't think Mercedes would want to do that."

Mercedes looked at him incredulously before sitting her water down, before she could even say anything, Sam had interrupted her.

"We're not doing this right now." He gave them both a look before going back to eating and feeding his little girl.

They sat in awkward silence for a few minutes before Tina broke the tension, "Just reminding everyone that Austin's birthday party is in two weeks and it's going to be at the new water park."

Sam sighed as he looked at them with a slight frown, "I hate that I'm going to miss it, that's our first away game. I promised him that we could do something fun when I get back."

"We'll make sure you feel like you're there. Josh has agreed to periscope it for ya." Mike said as he bit into his burger.

"I got to learn how to do it, you know I'm an old man, social media isn't my thing." He chuckled along with everyone else, picking up his fork.

Mercedes ate in silence as she listened to the conversation. Hearing her phone vibrate again, she grabbed it off the table and read the text. Taking a deep breath, she locked it and put it back down.

Sam looked at Mercedes curiously before leaning over to whisper to her when everyone else was talking, "What's going on?"

"We'll talk later." She said quietly before going back to her salad.

Sam just nodded. He knew something was going on with her but she wasn't telling him. He hated that. He was her husband and she wasn't confiding in him. He really hoped that she would tell him soon though.

* * *

Mercedes curled up on the patio swing the next morning with a cup of coffee, swinging absently as she looked out ahead of her. She has had so much on her mind for the past two weeks, she didn't know what to do.

Sam was in the kitchen watching Ari finish up her breakfast. He looked to the side and saw his wife out on the patio and he sighed. When they came home last night, she told him what was going on and he couldn't believe that she had kept it in for so long. Looking back at his daughter, he smiled at her, "All done."

"dun." She smiled brightly as she clapped her hands, reaching up for him.

Sam chuckled as he leaned down and picked her out of her seat, grabbing the small plate and placing it in the sink, "Let's see what mommy is doing." He walked to the backdoor and slid it open, sitting Ari on her feet, watching as the little girl went to her.

Mercedes sat her cup down on the table, smiling a bit when she saw her daughter climb on the swing and crawled into her lap. She kissed her forehead before moving her curls out of her face, "My sweet baby." She let out a deep sight before looking over at her husband, "I'm sorry I didn't come to you. It's like everything just happen all at once you know. From Karen calling and saying that her and my father are separated right now, Josh moving out of the house and on top of all that, my brother is getting deployed next week and he doesn't know when he'll be back. Everything just caught me off guard." She said as she watched her daughter slide off her lap and go to the other swing that was in front of them. She wiped her tear that slid down from her face, looking at him, "I have no problem with Josh moving on with his life, I'm proud that he has made the decisions that he has but at the time, I just felt like I was losing another brother. I know it sounds selfish but that's just how I feel."

"And you need to talk to him and tell him that babe. Let him know how you feel and why you reacted the way you did. I can almost guarantee that he will understand." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders to pull her closer, kissing her forehead as he watched Rocky climb up beside Ari.

"You're right." She said softly as she pulled out her cell phone from her pajama pocket.

"He's already here." Sam said as he looked down at her, gesturing towards the kitchen, "He wanted to apologize for last night."

Mercedes nodded as she gave him a small kiss to the corner of his mouth before getting off the swing.

Sam turned back to his daughter, shaking his head and letting out a chuckle when he saw her laid back with her eyes closed, her small hand rubbing Rocky's back, "Silly girl."

Mercedes closed the screen door behind her, looking at the man, who was waiting at the table for her, "Hi."

Josh gave her a small smile when she came in, "Hey." He watched as she sat down and he took a deep breath, seeing as she was about to speak, he quickly interrupted her, "I'm sorry for what I said last night, I really am. And now, I understand why you have been acting like this. I didn't mean to eavesdrop on you and Sam's convo just then but..I'm really sorry. If I had of known this all happened at the same time, I could've waited to move out."

"No Josh, no." She shook her head as she looked at him, crossing her ankles, "This is your life, you make your own decisions. I'm sorry if I made it seem like I wasn't happy for you because I am...I truly am. The timing was just awful."

Josh got up and went to her, bending down to give her a big hug, "I love you Mercedes, always will. You're my sister and when my sister hurts, I hurt."

"I love you too." She whispered as she hugged him back just as tight, kissing his cheek.

"And I would say I feel bad about your dad but I don't, not after the way he treated you but I will say I'm sad that Micah has to go."

"I am too." She sighed sadly as she placed her hands in her lap, "I know that this is the cost of protecting our country and I support him whole heartedly but apart of me is scared. I am always scared because I don't know if I would ever see him again."

"You just have keep your faith Mercedes, like always."

"I know..I just wish I could see him before he go."

Josh nodded understandably before leaning over to grab her hand, "Everything's going to be fine, I promise."

"Thank you." Mercedes sent him a smile before squeezing his hand. She was happy that she could sit down and explain herself to him. He was like a brother to her, "I'm sorry again and if you would like, I would love to throw you an apartment warming party."

"I would love that."

"And I'll even invite Lexi." She smirked, giving him a knowing look.

Josh rolled his eyes at her, shaking his head with a laugh, "I don't even know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything." She said as she stood up, stretching a bit. She smiled when he stood up and she gave him another hug, "Love you."

"Love you too." Josh said as he hugged her back. He was happy that they were back on good terms, "Now can I ask you a favor?"

"Sure."

"Can I get Ari back for the mornings?" He pulled back and looked at her with a slight pout, "I miss our morning talks, eating dry fruit loops and laying back in our pajamas watching cartoons."

Mercedes giggled as she pulled her hair to the side, looking out the window at the little girl, "Of course."

Sam picked Ari up from the bench and headed back inside the house, seeing Josh and Mercedes talking, he smiled, "Everything good?"

"Never been better."

"Agreed."

Sam nodded, looking down when he felt Ari wiggling in his arms, he sat her down to the ground and watched as she ran over to Josh and wrapped her tiny arms around his legs. He could easily tell that she was happy to have her buddy back.

* * *

The rest of the weekend was spent peacefully. With everything back to normal with Josh, Mercedes was still dealing with the fact that her brother was leaving this week. She was always scared when he got that call saying that they needed him.

Mercedes closed the door to her office and turned off the light, sliding out of her heels. She had just finished her round of checking on everyone in the department before taking her break. Leaning forward, she pulled her little traveling pillow and blanket from her drawer and sat it up on her couch.

Sam walked down the hallway, speaking to some of the people along the way. He came to a stop at his wife's door, twisting the knob, he walked in, closing and locking the door behind him quietly. He slipped out of his running shoes and walked over to the couch, laying down behind her, he draped his arm across her midsection and pulled her closely.

"Hey you." She said softly as she kept her eyes shut closed, placing her hand on his.

Sam kissed the side of her neck as he laid his head down on her pillow, sighing in content. This is how the spent their lunch breaks. It was nice that they could spend at least two hours during their work days together. Usually they would buy lunch and take a nap but today was different. Sam knew his wife was having a rough week knowing that her brother was leaving and he honestly felt really bad. He pressed a kiss to her shoulder, "I love you."

"I love you too." She whispered back as she let out a deep breath, squeezing his hand lightly, "He's going to come back right?"

Sam immediately knew she was talking about her brother. He rubbed his thumb along her hand soothingly, "Of course he will. He has no other option."

Mercedes nodded as she went back to being silent. She closed her eyes once more and drifted off to sleep. The couple slept for an hour, Sam being the first one to get up. He felt his phone vibrating and he pulled it out of his pocket to read the text. Looking at Mercedes as she began to stir, "Babe."

"Yeah?"

"Josh wants you to come to his job after work, he says that he needs your opinion on something. I'll pick up something for dinner."

"Okay."

Sam rolled her over gently and pressed a kiss to her lips before getting up, "Love you."

"Love you more." She smiled before turning back over and going back to sleep. She was going to sleep for the rest of her break because she was super exhausted.

* * *

Josh chuckled as he looked down at Ari, who was sitting on the floor. He had gave the toddler a big piece of paper and some paint to play with. Surprisingly, she actually used the brushes too. He looked up when he heard the door open, smiling, "Hey Cedes."

"Hey there." Mercedes smiled as she came in, sporting her daughter on the floor, she chuckled, "Oh my god."

"mama." Ari looked up with a smile as she stood up with a grunt, running to her mother, holding up her arms.

"Cookie." She giggled as she picked the little girl up, despite paint being all over her. She kissed her rosy cheek before turning back to Josh, "So what's up?"

"I want to show you something." He said before grabbing a big canvas from under the table and placing it on the counter, "Sam drew this out for you and I painted."

Mercedes walked over and looked down, a gasp escaping her lips, "Oh my god..this is beautiful." She felt her eyes starting to water up as she continued to examine the picture. Sam had taken one of her pictures of her mother holding her when she was little and drew it out while Josh oil painted it. It was simply the most beautiful thing ever, "This is incredible, thank you so much."

"I just painted." He said with a smile as he leaned against the counter, "Your husband was the one who did the hardest part."

Mercedes smiled as she wiped her tears away, looking down at Ari who did the same as well for her, "Thank you cookie."

"I'll take it to the car for you."

"Thank you." Mercedes said sweetly as she stepped back and watched him clean up the things he gave Ari. She walked towards the back and to the restroom to wash the little girl's hands and face off. Once she was finished, she headed back out. She gave Josh a hug and thanked him again before heading out. She got Ari strapped down in her car seat before closing the door and heading driver's seat. She started up her engine and pulled out of the parking lot. They arrived home in fifteen minutes.

Sam had just finish taking everything out the bag when he heard the door open. Popping a piece of shrimp in his mouth, he chuckled when he heard Ari saying something to his wife.

"I feel like you're trying to talk back already." Mercedes looked at the little girl, who just started laughing as she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her mommy's lips. Mercedes giggled as she sat her down to the ground, watching as she navigated her way to the kitchen.

Sam peeped around the corner and smirked when he saw the little body coming to him, "Cookie Monster, have you been painting?"

Arianna nodded her small head, touching her cheek with an excited giggle when he picked her up, "daddy."

Mercedes put her purse in the chair and walked around the counter to her husband, placing a soft kiss to his lips as she looked at him with a smile, "Thank you for the painting, it is absolutely beautiful."

"You're welcome baby. I actually had it drawn out for awhile now and I just figured this would be a perfect time for you to have it."

"And you were right. I love it and I love you, thank you." She gave him another kiss before stepping back.

"I brought some soup and sandwiches from that bistro you like." He said as he looked at Arianna, bopping her nose with his finger as he sat her down on the counter, "And princess Ari has some delicious mac and cheese."

Mercedes giggled at the two before grabbing her phone from her purse to take a picture, shaking her head at their silliness. Hearing the doorbell ring, her eyebrows twitched up in confusion, "Are you expecting someone?"

"No."

Mercedes turned on her heels and headed to the foyer, "Who is it?" She heard someone's voice but couldn't make it out. Looking through the peephole, her eyes went wide as she stepped back and opened the door quickly, tears streaming down her face almost instantly, "Micah."

* * *

 **A/N. Hey guys! What did you think of this chapter? Now everyone knows what was wrong with Mercedes, so she wasn't being a bitch for no reason as someone stated! Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this update! New story is coming to you soon so be on a look out & a HWL update as well, :) **


	16. Sibling Time

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

"Micah." Mercedes cried as she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck tightly, burying her face in his chest.

Micah held her securely as he kissed her forehead, trying to hold his on tears back, "It's okay."

Sam peeped around the corner and let out a smile before stepping back into the kitchen. He knew how upset Mercedes was about her brother getting deployed so he called him up to see if there was any possible way he could come here before leaving.

Mercedes didn't want to let go but they had to come inside. She sniffled as she undid herself from him, moving to the side so he could come in.

Micah sat his bag on the floor and watched as his little sister closed and locked the door. When she turned back around, he gave her a small smile before taking his thumbs and wiping away her tears, "Don't cry Cedes, it's going to be okay."

"How do you know that?" She said just as she started back to crying lowly, putting her head down.

Micah sighed as he pulled her into another hug, laying his head on top of hers. Honestly, he didn't know but the only thing he could do was keep his faith, "You just have to be strong Mercedes and keep praying."

"I know but it's hard." She lifted her head up and looked at him, sniffling hard as she wiped her face, whispering, "You're my big brother and I don't want to lose you."

"I know." He said quietly as he looked at her sadly, grabbing ahold of her hand and placing his other one on top, "Let's pray."

Mercedes nodded as she placed her hand on top of his, closing her eyes as she waited for him to start.

"God, I know you're sick of hearing from me this week man but I mean well. You already know what I'm want to talk to you about. I want you to give my sister all the strength in the world and help guide her through this difficult time as always. She knows I love her and I always will. She has a husband and a daughter that needs all of her attention. I just don't want her to worry or stressed out. I'm going to be okay..and I know that you will watch over me. Amen."

"Amen." She said quietly as she wiped her face, looking at him with teary, puffy eyes.

"Come on, show me around this big house. I need to see where I'm sleeping at for the next four days." He gave her a smile before wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

Mercedes let out a smile for the first time since he's been there. She spent the next few minutes showing him everything before they ended up in the kitchen. She walked over to Sam and gave him a big hug, thanking him because she knew that he had something to do with this. She was so grateful and lucky to have a husband like him.

* * *

The next morning Mercedes had woke up early and fixed a big breakfast. She had decided to take a few days off of work so she could spend some much needed time with her brother. Moving her hair back, she picked her daughter up from her chair and sat her to the floor, watching as the little girl walked straight over to Rocky, who was laying down on the floor.

"She's getting big." Micah said as he smiled at his niece before looking back at his sister.

Mercedes nodded happily as she looked at her daughter, leaning against the counter, "She is." She chuckled when the little girl came back and went to her uncle, climbing onto his lap, "She starts this toddler ballet class next week that Sam and I signed her up for."

"Oh god, now that is going to be interesting. Please make sure you take a lot of videos and pictures." Micah said as he kissed his niece's cheek before tickling her, "When are you two going to have another one?"

"I honestly don't know. I know we both want more children but right we are just focusing on Ari and our careers. But if it happens, it happens." She smiled as she walked around and sat at the table.

Micah nodded with a smile as he watched the little girl reach over and grab a slice of his mango. He laughed and shook his head just as he heard the front door open.

"Mercedes, are you here?"

"In the kitchen."

Josh sat his keys down and headed that way, a smile forming on his face when he saw Micah, "What's up man?"

"Hey Josh." He said as he stood up to give the younger man a hug, patting his back, "How are you?"

"I'm good, you?"

Micah gave him a light shrug as he sat back down, "As well as I can be right now."

Josh nodded understandably before giving Mercedes a hug and Ari a kiss on her cheek, taking a seat at the table, "How long are you here for?"

"I leave Saturday afternoon."

Mercedes let out a sigh before turning to Josh, "I'm sorry I didn't call but I'm taking off this week and you don't have to worry about getting Ari. I want her to spend some time with him before he leaves."

"Understandable but I'll just come for free breakfast." He said with a chuckle, trying to lighten up the mood. He knew that Mercedes and Micah was both on an emotional high so all he wanted for them was good vibes.

Micah chuckled at him, "I have a feeling that you're going to be one of those people who moved out but it's not going to feel like it because you're constantly here."

"I think I am." He snorted as he stood back up and went to fix him a plate, "I'll be out of you guys hair when I finish. I'm going to go into work early."

"How's working at the art studio going?"

"Great. I actually love it and I have sold five of my own paintings so far. I am definitely enjoying it."

"That's good bro, congrats." Micah said with a smile, looking down when he saw Ari slide down and go back over to Rocky.

"Thank you." Josh smiled as he went to the pantry to get a Togo box. Once he got his plate fixed, he gave them another hug before leaving with promises that he would for sure be back in the morning.

"What do you want to do today?"

"It doesn't matter, I just want to spend time with you and little nugget." Micah said as he stood up to help her clean up the kitchen.

Mercedes dried her hands before turning around, giving him a small smile, "There is one thing I want us to do."

Micah looked at curiously, wondering exactly what his little sister had planned. Whatever it was, he knew he was going to enjoy it.

* * *

Sam had came up to his office after practice to get a few things. They had another home games Saturday so he was trying to get his guys prepared. Hearing a knock on his door, he looked up and gestured for the person to come in, "Hey Lex, what's up?"

"Hi Sam." Lexi said with a smile as she stepped into the man's office, placing her hands into the front pockets of her jeans, "Is Mercedes okay? She called and said that she's taking the week off."

"Yeah, she's fine. Her brother is in town and she going to spend some time with him before he goes out of the country."

"Oh okay. I was just wondering and a lot of the kids and professors were too." She gave him a smile before tucking her hair behind her ear, "If you guys need anything, I'm here."

"Actually, there is something." Sam smirked as he sat down on his desk, looking at the woman teasingly, "Since he's too chicken to ask you, I'm inviting you to Josh apartment warming party. It's going to be next Sunday."

"He wants me to come?" She asked excitedly, feeling the heat spread across her face when she realized how she sounded.

Sam nodded as he tried to suppress his laughter at her reaction, "Yeah, he does."

Lexi smiled bashfully before clearing her throat, "I would love to come."

"Great." Sam grabbed a piece of paper and pen, scribbling down his friend's address and giving it to her with a smile.

Lexi took the paper from him, trying to recover from her embarrassment, "Thank you Sam."

He nodded as he got off the desk and went to grab his things, "You're welcome."

Lexi bided him a good rest of the day before exiting. She looked at the paper once again and couldn't help but smile. She had to admit that she instantly had a little crush on Josh when she first met him and she couldn't believe that he actually wanted her to come to his party.

Sam shook his head, letting a chuckle escape his mouth as he shut off his lights. He was pretty sure that those two were going to get together. Once he finally made it to his car, he got in and strapped down before turning on the engine to head home.

Mercedes moved her hair back with a smile as she sat down on the floor with a book. She had just put Ari down for her afternoon nap and she was now sitting with her brother in the living room. Mercedes came up with an idea this morning for her and Micah to go through photo books from over the years.

"Look at this one." Micah said with a chuckle as held the book up, pointing to the picture to the right.

Mercedes looked at the picture and snorted, "Oh my god." She giggled as she continued to look on. It was a picture of her three year old self sticking her hand into Micah's cake at his sixth birthday party.

"I remember that day like it was yesterday." Micah said with a smile as he glanced down at the picture, "I was so mad and I yelled at you. You had stopped and looked at me with those big brown eyes filled with tears and I felt so bad."

Mercedes chuckled as she picked up another book, "It was real smooth of you for yelling at your three year baby sister who didn't know any better, real smooth."

"I was just six and being a mean big brother that's all but I did really feel bad afterwards."

"I know." She bumped his shoulder as she continued to look through the book. They sat there and laughed for what felt like forever, talking about old memories and looking at dozens of pictures of them, their family and friends.

Sam closed the front door behind him and sat his keys on the table. Hearing laughter coming from the living room, he sat his things down and headed that way. Seeing his wife and brother-in-law on the floor looking at photos, he smiled as he stepped in, "Hey guys."

"Hey bro."

"Hey babe." Mercedes gave him a small kiss when he leaned down, patting his cheek lightly before letting go.

Sam took a seat on the couch, next to his daughter who was sleeping peacefully. He chuckled as he pulled the small blanket up on her a bit.

"Your plate is in the microwave."

"Thank you." He said sweetly as he looked on curiously, "What have y'all been up to all day?"

"Mercedes brought out a bunch of photo books, old and new, and we have been reminiscing a bit." Micah said just as he found the picture he was looking for, smirking, he handed it to Sam.

Sam took the book from his hand and a lopsided grin took over his features, "I remember this." It was a picture of him and Mercedes when they were in middle school. They had just won the middle school football championship and somehow, he had gotten Mercedes away from the group and ask her to take a picture with him.

"To be honest, this is when I knew you had the hots for my sister." Micah admitted as he stood up from the ground and stretched.

Mercedes pursed her lips as she looked at him, "How exactly?"

"Despite his sleazy preteen arm wrapped around your waist every time you two took a picture, he wears his heart on his sleeves. I knew he liked you by the way he always looked at you when he thought nobody was watching." Micah saw his brother in law's face get redder by each word he spoke and he couldn't help but smirk, "You thought you were slick Sam Evans but you couldn't and still can't get anything over big bro. I didn't say anything then because it was an innocent little crush but all bets were off when you two got in high school."

"Trust me, we know." Mercedes said with a shake of her head as she remembered all the times when Micah was home from college and Sam was over, he stayed cockblocking them.

Micah laughed lowly, remembering his niece was still asleep, he gestured upstairs, "I'm going to go take a shower."

Mercedes nodded as she watched him go up the stairs, turning back to her husband, she giggled when she saw how red he was, "You do wear your heart on your sleeve though."

"I didn't know I was being _that_ obvious though." He laughed embarrassingly as he looked at her, gesturing for her to come sit by him.

Mercedes smiled as she stood up from the floor and got on the couch, "It all worked out in the end."

"It did. I'm very happy and grateful." Sam said with a smile as he looked at his daughter before looking back at his wife and grabbing her hand, "How was your day?"

"Honestly it was way more emotional than I thought it was going to be." She said as she laid her head down on his shoulder, trying her best not to start crying, "I am more scared for him because he does not know how long he'll be gone. And this time around, we have Ari..and I would hate for anything to.." She swallowed the lump in her throat as she looked down to the floor, "I just don't want anything bad to happen."

"I don't either sweetheart but we have to stay positive." He entwined their fingers together, bringing her hand up to his lips to press a soft kiss to it.

"I know." She wiped the tear that had fallen from her eye and cleared her throat, "If anything ever happen to him I would literally fall apart. I know I have you and Ari but babe, he's the only person I have left from my family and I can't lose him like I lost my m-mom."

"Come here." Sam said softly as he pulled her closer, kissing her forehead. He knew exactly how she was feeling because he felt the same way, he just didn't show it. He had to be strong for his girls, he just had too. Micah is a brother to him and the worry this time around is deeper because they have Arianna. They don't want their little girl to grow up not knowing one of her uncles.

Mercedes sniffled as she wrapped her arms around Sam's waist. She had to try her best to be strong not only for herself but for her family as well. She loved her brother so much and the worry was real but just like Sam and Micah both said, she had to keep her faith. And that's exactly what she was going to do. Keep praying and asking God to please watch over not only big brother but her family as well.

* * *

 **A/N. Hey everyone! Did you enjoy this chapter? It was a little emotional & it's going to be like that for awhile because of Micah but everything will get better I promise! What do you think about Josh wanting Lexi at his party? Do you think something is going to happened there or not? Have a great & safe weekend :) **


	17. See You Later Micah

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **Note To God-JoJo**

* * *

Mercedes stared up at the ceiling in her bedroom in deep thought. The week that she had spent with her brother was absolutely amazing and bittersweet. They got to do so many things and take a lot of pictures but all the happiness was slowly fading away because today was the day. Today, her brother was leaving and she had no clue when he would be back. She felt empty, like apart of her was going away. She turned her head and looked at the clock, seeing it was a little after seven, she sighed and moved Sam's arm from around her and got out of bed. Slipping into her robe and house shoes, she exited out the room and went across the hall. Peeping into her daughter's room, she noticed the little girl was still sleeping and she backed out, heading down the stairs. She went to the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee before walking out and going to a room down the hall. She turned the light on, going over to sit at the bench and in front of the piano. She pulled one of her song notebooks off the table and opened it up. One thing she did at times like this was sing. Music helped soothed her and in a way, it made things better. She placed her fingers on the correct keys and began to play, singing out softly.

 _If I wrote a note to God  
I would speak what's in my soul  
I'd ask for all the hate to be swept away  
And for love to overflow_

 _If I wrote a note to God  
I'd pour my heart out on each page  
I'd ask for wars to end  
And for peace to mend this world  
I'd say, I'd say, I'd say_

 _Give us the strength to make it through  
Help us find love 'coz love is overdue  
And it looks like we haven't got a clue  
Need some help from You_

 _Grant us the faith to carry on  
Give us hope when it seems all hope is gone  
'Coz it seems like so much is goin' wrong  
On this road we're on_

 _If I wrote a note to God  
I would say what on my mind  
I'd ask for wisdom to let compassion rule  
This world until these times_

 _If I wrote a note to God  
I'd say please help us find our way  
End all the bitterness, put some tenderness  
In our hearts  
And I'd say, I'd say, I'd say_

 _Give us the strength to make it through  
Help us find love 'coz love is overdue  
And it looks like we haven't got a clue  
Need some help from You_

 _Grant us the faith to carry on  
Give us hope when it seems all hope is gone  
'Coz it seems like so much is goin' wrong  
On this road we're on_

 _No, no, no, no  
We can't do it on our own  
So, so_

 _Give us the strength to make it through  
Help us find love 'coz love is overdue  
And it looks like we haven't got a clue  
Need some help from You_

 _Grant us the faith to carry on  
Give us hope when it seems all hope is gone  
'Coz it seems like so much is goin' wrong  
On this road we're on_

 _If I wrote a note to God.._

Sam woke up a few minutes after Mercedes left, feeling her absence from the bed. He got up and grabbed a shirt to put on and made his way down the stairs. He knew that she would probably be up because today was day Micah was leaving. Going through the kitchen, he saw the freshly made coffee but no Mercedes. That is until her heard the piano and her voice down the hallway. He walked down quietly, peeping in, he leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched on. He listened to the words and his heart couldn't help but tug a bit.

Mercedes sighed as she took her fingers off the keys, looking at the pictures that were on the wall, "I know you're sick of me being all sad and stuff."

"You have a reason to be." Sam said as he pushed off the door and went to sit beside her on the bench, "But I just hate that I can't make you feel better."

Mercedes gave him a weak smile as she laid her head down on his shoulder, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall.

Sam kissed her forehead as he pulled her closer to him, lacing their fingers together, "Everything is going to be okay."

"I've been hearing that all week." She said softly as she sniffled a bit, wiping the corner of her eye, "Thank you for everything Sam. You have been so patient and caring throughout this whole thing, I can't thank you enough."

"You don't have to thank me for that. I am your husband and before that, I was your friend. I'm always going to be there for you, no matter what."

Micah kissed his niece forehead as he walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. Not finding anyone there, he turned around and went down the hallway where he heard voices. Looking in the music room, he saw the two on the bench, Sam consoling his sister. He knew that she was sad and he hated that she was..but he chose this life for himself, "Are we just having a pot of black coffee for breakfast?"

Mercedes sniffled as she wiped her face, letting out a laugh as she turned around, "No."

"Everyone is actually coming over and bringing food." Sam gave his brother in law a smile. Their friends had decided to come over for the morning and spend some time with the family. Since the game wasn't until later on tonight, Sam was happy that he didn't have to leave earlier and could spend some time with him as well. He watched as Micah nodded and sat Ari down, the little girl rubbing her eye as she walked over to him.

"Sam, can you give us a minute please?" Micah asked as he came further into the room.

"Sure, come on Cookie." He picked up his daughter as he got off the bench and went into the other room.

Micah took Sam's abandoned spot, taking a deep breath, he turned and grabbed her hand, "Do you know why I chose the life I did?"

"Of course. Even when you did go to college, you still said that you wanted to follow in granddaddy's footsteps."

"And not just that but I wanted to challenge myself. I wanted what I thought was best for me. I wanted to do something that I wanted to do, not what dad wanted." He sighed as he stared at the wall, "I know it's hard but I need you to not worry about me. I love you so much but I don't need this interfering with your life."

"You can't ask me to do that Micah." She said in an angry tone, looking away from him, "I'm always going to worry about you..you're my brother, my support system since we were little."

"I know that but Cedes, you have a family now. You need to focus on them and just them. As I have said countless of times, I'm going to be okay and you're just going to have to take my word for it, okay?"

Mercedes shook her head angrily as she took a deep breath. She couldn't believe he was asking her to do this, quite frankly, she didn't understand how he could believe that she could not think of him. That may be something easy for their dad to do but for her it wasn't, "I'm not going to say I'm not going to worry about you because I am. You're my brother and I love you. But I will promise I will not focus to much on it. As long as we have some type of communication, I think I'm going to be okay."

"And we will. I'll make sure of it but as you know, it won't be every day nor every week." He watched as she nodded sadly and he leaned over and pressed a kiss to her forehead, wrapping his arm around her, "I love you kiddo."

"Stop, you're just three years older me." She giggled for the first time in awhile, laying her head back down on his shoulder, "I love you too." They stayed like that for awhile before they both heard the voices of friends coming into the house.

* * *

The day had turned out really good to Micah. He was happy that he had so much love and support surrounding him. They spent the morning eating and sharing stories from their past, lightening up the mood up a bit. He kind of felt the mood shift as the time got closer for them to head on to the airport. With long hugs from their friends, who he considered brothers and sisters, he promised that he would always write or talk to them when he could. He sat back in the seat with a sigh as he turned to the side, smiling at his niece as she babbled on in her car seat. He was definitely going to miss this one right here. He was kind of sad that he was going to miss some major milestones in her life but hopefully, he won't be gone for too long.

Sam gave Mercedes' hand a light squeeze as he glanced her way for a second before he got over into the other lane. She hasn't said a single word since they left the house and he knew that this was really get tough for her. He let out a low sigh as he pulled to the side and parked the truck. They had arrived at the airport and he knew this was going to be emotional. He pushed the button to open the trunk and got out, heading to help the man with his luggage.

Mercedes took a deep breath as she unbuckled her seatbelt and got out the car as well, opening the backdoor and removing her daughter from out of her car seat. She smiled down at the little girl when she got her out, stepping back onto the sidewalk.

Micah thanked one of the attendees when he came with a cart for the luggage. Helping Sam with his things, he placed his book bag on his back and turned to the man, holding out his arms.

Sam gave him a sad smile as he leaned forward and hugged him tightly, "You be safe out there bro."

"I will." Micah said as he patted his back, pulling back, he placed his hands on his shoulders, "Take care of my sister and niece like I know you will."

Sam nodded as he started to feel tears prick up in his eyes, he cleared his throat harshly as he stepped back, putting his head down.

Micah turned to Mercedes, picking Ari out of her arms. He kissed his niece's cheek and hugged the small body, causing her to giggle, "I will miss you sweet Ari. Uncle Micah loves you so much." He kissed her cheek again before looking at her with a smile, watching as she took her small hands and placed them on his cheeks.

Mercedes chewed on her bottom lip as she watched on. A smile appearing on her face when she saw Ari interacting with him. She sighed when he gave her to Sam and turn her way.

Micah walked up to her and wrapped her into a big hug, kissing her forehead as he placed his chin on top of her head, "Remember what we talked about."

Mercedes closed her eyes as she tightly put her arms around his waist, trying her best not to cry. When he spoke, she nodded but didn't let go of him.

Micah hugged her for a few more minutes before pulling back, seeing tears glistening in her eyes, he held her face in her hands as he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her cheek, letting her go as he stepped back, "I love you."

"I love you too." She whispered back as she looked at him. No more words were needed to be spoken because they have said all they needed to say this week.

Micah let out a deep breath as he looked at his family, mustering up a smile before speaking, "I'll call you guys as soon as I can. I love you."

"We love you Micah." Sam said as he wrapped his arm around Mercedes', watching as he nodded and turned around. He looked at Ari who had a pout on her face, waving her hand in an up and down motion.

Mercedes watched his retrieving form as he disappeared into the airport. She let out a harsh breath as she laid her head down on Sam's shoulder. Everything was going to be fine..at least that what she was trying to convince herself.

* * *

 **A/N. Tears everywhere, so sad! Let me know what you think. Side note, Charice version of that song is amazing as well. Have a great weekend!**


	18. Josh's Apartment Warming

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **Angie Hendrix- Tara Ochs**

 **Rebecca Hendrix- Caitlin Carmichael**

* * *

Mercedes placed her glasses on top of her head as she opened the back door, smiling at her daughter as she lifted her out of the car seat, kissing her cheek.

"Daddy." Ari smiled as she looked over at her dad, who was walking up behind her mama.

"You look so adorable my love." Sam smiled as came up to her, kissing her cheek and picking her out of Mercedes' arms. She had on black leotard with a matching tu-tu. Her small feet were covered in nude colored ballet flats and her curls were pulled up into a puffy ball. He turned and dropped a kiss on Mercedes' lips, "Made it on time."

"I see." Mercedes chuckled as she grabbed the small book bag out the back and closed the door, turning to face her husband fully.

"Where did you get that shirt?" Sam said as he admired the shirt with a goofy smile, "I want one."

Mercedes snorted as she locked the door, titling her head to the side, "I found it at a thrift shop in Inglewood." She had on a light blue Cookie Monster graphic tee paired with her light blue distressed skinny jeans and her black Nike Roshe while her natural hair was pulled up into a high puff, "But I'm sure we can find you one somewhere."

Sam gave her a lopsided grin as he leaned down and kissed her again, grabbing ahold of her hand as he led her to the building. Today was Ari's first day of ballet class and he for sure knew he was more excited for this more than his little girl was.

Mercedes giggled at how excited Sam was. She just knew that this was going to be a great day just by the look on his face. She opened the door and let him go first before following behind.

"Mr. and Mrs. Evans, right?" The brown skin girl asked, watching them nod, she smiled, "My name is Jazz and I'm going to be Arianna's instructor."

Sam looked at his daughter as she tighten her grip around his neck, her brown eyes eying the girl strangely, "It's going to be okay Cookie."

"Yeah baby, we're going to be right over there." She pointed to small area that was for the parents, watch the little girl pout go away, she scanned the girl again curiously.

"I promise you're going to have so much fun Arianna." Jazz said with a bright smile as she held out her hands for, watching the girl hesitantly come, she grabbed her out of Sam's arms and headed to her area with the rest of the kids.

Mercedes smiled as she rubbed Sam's shoulder, gesturing for them to go sit down. Once they got to the bench, she took a seat and sat her book bag right in front of her.

Sam sat close by her, grabbing ahold of her hand and kissing it. He smiled as he turned to her, dropping a kiss to her lips.

"What was that for?"

"Just because." He watched as she smiled and he kissed her again before facing forward. Its been a hard couple of days for her but he was so glad to see that she was doing better. Micah had only called once since he's been gone to let them know that he has made it to his destination. It was a secret for right now but he said he would let them know when he could tell. That was five days ago, "I know I ask you this almost everyday but I want you to tell me the truth. How are you?"

"I'm fine, really. Just trying to keep myself busy with work and focus on you and Ari." She said softly as she played with his fingers, watching their daughter with a smile, "I'm trying to stay positive."

"And that's a really good thing to be." He bumped her shoulder lightly as he turned his attention to Ari, who surprisingly was following directions for the warm-ups, "You know, maybe we should sign her up for the toddler tumbling and gymnastics classes."

Mercedes giggled at the excitement that was in his voice, "Baby, she's just one."

"It's never too early to start Mercedes." He quipped, earning a slap to his shoulder from his wife, "It's not."

"We will just see how this goes and if it doesn't seem to like it, we can switch..oh my god babe, we're sounding like we're talking about a seven year old, again, she's one." Mercedes covered her mouth to stop her laughter, her hand hitting his knee.

Sam couldn't help but laugh with her, it was so contagious but beautiful. He was so happy that she was happy because it's been awhile, "I was thinking that we can take off of day from work next week and take a trip to Disneyland."

"That sounds fun, I'm in." She kissed his cheek and stared at him with a smile, laying her head down on his shoulder, "I love you."

"Love you more." He said as he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer. For the next hour, they spent their time watching their little girl on her first day of ballet class and it was an adorable sight.

* * *

Josh watched Mercedes sat everything up in apartment with a smile. She had really come through for him and he was so proud. He was also happy that she came around to the idea of him staying on his own. In all honesty, when they had their disagreement, everything thing just felt wrong at the moment but now, it doesn't.

Mercedes pulled the tray from the refrigerator and sat it on the counter, closing the door with her foot. Her hands went over to take the cling wrap off, lifting her head up to look at him, she saw he was about to speak so she cut him off, "Stop. You've been thanking me since I got here."

Josh rolled his eyes with a smile on his face, "I know but I just want you to know how grateful I am."

Mercedes leaned over and kissed his cheek, patting her hand against it, "You're welcome sweetie."

Josh chuckled as he watched her pull away, shaking his head, he leaned over and grabbed a couple of blueberries from the tray and tossed it in his mouth. He started making his way to the door when he heard the doorbell ring, straightening up a pillow that was on the couch. Another reason he was extremely thankful for Mercedes is because she actually took out the time and helped him decorate his apartment.

Mercedes sat the fruit on the table before walking around, pulling her phone out of the pocket of her romper. She saw she had a text from Sam, letting her know that he went straight home from the airport to take a shower and he would be there in about twenty minutes.

"Mommy." Ari said as she ran to her, holding out her arms for her to pick her up, smiling when Mercedes did so.

Josh finally opened door and his eyes went wide, a huge smile appearing on his face when he saw his mother and little sister, "Mom..Rebecca."

Rebecca smiled as she ran to her brother, practically jumping into his arms, "Joshy."

Josh smiled widely as he hugged her back, kissing the top of her head as he sat her down and went to hug his mom, "I thought you couldn't make it?"

"I couldn't at first because of work but Mercedes is a very good con artist." Angie smiled as she looked at her son, rubbing his cheeks, "She made me realize that this is something important to you and that I had to be here."

Josh couldn't help but smile at that. He knew in his mother's line of work, it was hard for her to get away but he was so glad she was here. Seeing Mercedes peep around the corner, he opened up his mouth to say thank you again but the glare she was sending stopped him.

"Hey Ms. Angie, Rebecca." Mercedes came out of the kitchen with a smile.

"Cedes." Rebecca said as she went to the woman with a smile, giving her a side hug as she looked at Ari.

"It's been so long sweetie." Angie went over and gave Mercedes a tight hug, pulling back to look at her daughter, "Pictures doesn't do you justice sweet baby girl. She's absolutely gorgeous."

"Thank you." Mercedes said with a smile as she balanced Ari on her side, turning back to Rebecca, "And you have surely grown up on me."

"I'll be twelve next month." She said with a big smile.

"And this is why dad needs to get his shotgun prepared." Josh scoffed as he folded his arms across his chest.

Angie shook her head at her son just as the doorbell rung, she turned back to Mercedes with a smile, "How's your brother?"

"I can't really answer that because I don't know." Mercedes gave a sad smile, "He got deployed last week and the last time I talked to him was on that day."

"Oh sweetie, I'm sorry to hear that but you know he's going to be just fine."

"Thank you Ms. Angie."

"Cedes, can I hold her?" Rebecca asked as she stared back at the little girl, who looking doing the same to her with a smile.

"Sure." Mercedes answered as she handed Ari to Becca, surprised that she actually went. She smiled as she shook her head, turning to Angie, "I believe you Hendrix's have a baby attraction vibe. Ari loves Josh so much and she doesn't go to people she doesn't know."

Josh greeted everyone as they finally came into the apartment, many of their friends and even a few co-workers he bonded with. He thanked them for their gifts, sitting them on the table he had out, gesturing for them to come in, "Thanks guys for coming."

"This place is amazing J." Mike complimented as he sat Austin down to the floor, watching the little boy instantly navigate his way to his aunt Mercedes.

"Thanks man."

Mercedes gave Tina a hug when she came to the kitchen, both of them pulling away so they could put out the rest of the food and drinks. Mercedes let out a squeal when she saw Quinn, going over to give her a hug, "Oh my god, you made it."

"Yes, I did." Quinn chuckled as she hugged her best friend back, pecking her cheek.

"Where are those kids and husband of yours?" Tina asked curiously as she sat the napkins on the counter.

"The kids are with my mom." Quinn grabbed her a champagne glass and downed it quickly, earning strange looks from her friends, "As for husband, I don't know. Let me go see Ms. Angie."

Mercedes watched as she left out, leaving her and Tina confused. What did she mean by that?

Sam opened the door the building and headed straight for the elevator. Once he got on, he pushed the fifth floor and stood back. He stopped it quickly from closing when he heard a voice calling for him to wait.

"Sorry." Lexi said as she got in, taking a calming breath as she looked at him with a smile, "Hey Sam."

"Hey Lex, how are you?"

"Good, sorry about the loss yesterday. You guys almost had it."

"It's alright. We just have to work harder on fixing our mistakes, that's all." He gave her a small smile before the doors opened back up, letting her get out first. Sam could hear the voices coming from the room down the hall and the music flowing not too loudly in the background. Once he got to the door, he turned around and saw Lexi had stopped in her tracks, "Come on..it's nothing to be nervous about."

"I know, I just can't help it." She let out a nervous laugh as she pulled her hair back and stood in front of him, "I'm literally going to be the only person in here that nobody knows..it's going to be awkward."

"No it won't." He knocked on the door and grabbed her by her hand when he saw her walking away, "And plus, we're all friends here, we don't judge anyone without getting to know them first."

Quinn sat her drink down and headed to the door, opening it up, she saw Sam and some girl on the other side of it. Her smile faltered when she noticed how close the girl was and the fact that Sam was holding her hand.

"Quinn, what are you doing here?" Sam asked with a smile on his face as he leaned forward and gave his friend a hug.

Quinn couldn't help but hug him, patting his back as she pulled away with a smile, "Mercedes told me about this a week ago and I had some time off from work so..I decided to come out and support Josh." She looked at the girl curiously, "Who is this?"

Lexi looked at the blonde with a slight smile, holding out of her hand for her to shake, "Hi, I'm Lexi. I'm Mercedes' assistant."

Quinn gave her a strained smile as she shook her hand and turned around on her heels to walk away.

Lexi kinda felt the coldness coming off of her but she decided to brush it off, closing the door behind her. She smiled when Tina came up to her and spoke.

Josh was talking it up with a group of people when he heard Sam's voice, excusing himself, he saw Sam talking to Quinn but he wasn't the one who caught his eye.

"Mercedes did a damn good job in here." Sam said to himself as he looked around, bumping into Josh as he walked backward.

"Dude, I'm glad you made it. Sorry about the loss." Josh said as he gave his best friend a hug once he turned around.

"It's okay man." Sam shrugged as he continued to look around, doing a double take when he spotted some familiar faces, "Is that your mom and..Rebecca?"

"Yes, please go speak to them because they have been asking nonstop about you."

"Tell your dad he needs to get his shotgun ready." Sam said as he looked at Josh's little sister, shaking his head with a frown as he walked over to them.

"Exactly what I said." Josh said with a chuckle as he turned around and walked into the direction of the woman.

Lexi moved her hair back behind her ear, smiling when she came face to face with him, "Hi."

"Hi." Josh said with a matching smile on his face. He didn't know what it was but whenever he was around her, he always got lost with his words.

Lexi handed him the bag she had in her hand, "Happy apartment-warming."

Josh took the bag and looked at her seriously, "You didn't have to get me anything."

"I wanted too." She watched as he opened it up and she smiled as he pulled the small frame out, "I was debating on getting a piece of art since Mercedes' mentioned you loved it so much but this kind of stuck with me."

"May your troubles be less and your blessings be more. And nothing but happiness come through your door." Josh read aloud, looking back at the girl with a smile as he leaned over and gave her a hug, "Thank you."

Lexi was taken aback by hug but didn't hesitate to hug him back.

Sam finally made his way to kitchen after catching up with Angie and Rebecca and speaking to some more of Josh's guests. He found Mercedes in the kitchen sitting on the counter with her plate. He smirked as he quietly went in and stood in front of her, kissing her lips softly.

Mercedes was caught off guard by the kiss because she didn't hear nor see him come. She giggled against his lips as she kissed him back, "Hey cowboy."

"Hey my sexy wife." He kissed her again before stepping back, grabbing a cheese cube from her plate and popping it in his mouth, "Great turn out."

"It is." She bent down and kissed him again before she put her plate down beside her, hopping to the floor, "I'll fix you a plate."

"Did you see how Ari is acting with Rebecca?"

"I did." Mercedes looked at him with a smile before going back to the food, "I was just saying how I think her and Josh have baby magic in their blood."

"I believe so too." He leaned over and grabbed a beer from the mini cooler that was on the counter, opening it up as he sat back. He took a swig before sitting it down, watching as Mercedes came back with his plate, "Food, beer and few minutes alone with my wife. Nice way to come back to things. Thank you."

Mercedes leaned on her tippy toes and gave him another kiss before moving away, "You're welcome."

Rebecca came in with a pouting Ari on her hip, "Cedes, Sammie..I think she's hungry."

"I'll take her." Sam said as he put his food to the side and watched as the little girl reached out for him.

Mercedes smiled as she draped her arm around Rebecca, who was literally almost taller than her, "Did you get something to eat?"

"Not yet." The young girl said as she wrapped her arms around Mercedes, smiling when the woman kissed her forehead. It's been way to long since they have last seen each other and she didn't want to ever go that long anymore.

"Mercedes can I speak to you for a second?"

Mercedes turned around at Quinn's voice and nodded, letting go of Becca, "I'll be back."

"So much for the few minutes." Sam called out with a chuckle, watching Mercedes laugh as well. He looked down at his daughter, who had somehow manage to get one of his baby back ribs and chew on it. He laughed at the guilty look on her face and shook his head.

Mercedes followed Quinn into the hallway, only stopping when she did. She looked at her friend curiously as she crossed her arms, "What's wrong?"

"Just needed to let you know that you need to watch that assistant of yours around Sam."

"Lexi?"

"Yes. I opened up the door for them and she was a little to close for comfort and she was holding his hand." Quinn frowned at the memory of that. She knew Sam would never cheat on Mercedes but it was chicks like Lexi who didn't have boundaries.

"No Q, you have it all wrong I promise. Lexi likes Josh and vice versa. I'm pretty positive that she more than likely got nervous in the hallway and was about to leave until Sam stopped her." Mercedes gave her a gentle smile as she grabbed her by her shoulders and turned her around, pointing towards the two who were talking in the living room, "See."

"Oh." Quinn said softly, starting to feel really bad for how she acted towards the girl. She sighed as she looked at Mercedes, "Sorry, I guess I'm just a little protective when it comes to you."

"Yeah, you are.." Mercedes said as she scanned her face knowingly, "But something else is going on with you."

Quinn bit down on her bottom lip as she looked away, shaking her head, "I'm not going to ruin this day with my problems."

"We will talk about it tonight then." Mercedes said, getting a nod out of her best friend. She grabbed her hand and led her back to the kitchen, then going to the living room to enjoy the rest of Josh's party.

* * *

 **A/N. There's continuation for this chapter, so don't worry! Let's start from the beginning. Ari is too adorable as always & Samcedes is as well. So this is just part one of Josh's apartment warming but so much is going on. What do you think of Angie & Rebecca? What do you think is going on with Quinn? Are y'all down with Jexi happening? Let me know what you think, any questions you have or even thoughts on what is going to happen! **


	19. Change Is Going To Come

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **Terrance Wright- Jessie T. Usher**

 **Be Free- J Cole**

 **One Man Can Change The World- Big Sean, Kanye West & John Legend **

**Piece By Piece (Idol Version)- Kelly Clarkson**

* * *

Mercedes held the paper in her hand as she walked down the steps, looking at the boys on the practice field, she took a deep breath before placing a smile on her face. She was sure that this was a really bad idea but at he moment, she didn't care. It was something that had to be done in order for her to let everyone know that they are equal and she would not stand for any discrimination nor separation. It was time out for that, it was not the 50s anymore.

Sam had the whistle locked between his teeth as he looked down at his playbook, taking his pen from behind his ear and pressing it against the book to make some changes to the lineup. They had a big game this weekend and he wanted to change the lineup a bit to see if it would make a difference in their performance.

"Changing it up?" Derek asked as he came up up beside him, his eyes wondering to the left side to where their guys were.

"Yeah, I'm just going to see how this works." He said just as he wrote the last name down, giving the book to him so he could see, "What do you think?"

Derek scanned down the list and nodded, looking back at the man before opening his mouth. He was about to speak until he saw her short frame coming on the field, "You have a visitor."

Sam turned around confusedly before his eyes settled on his wife, smiling, "Hey baby."

"Hey." Mercedes said softly as she leaned up and gave him a kiss before waving at Derek.

"What are you doing here? Is Ari okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine. I'm actually not here to see you." She smirked teasingly, patting Derek's shoulder before walking pass him as well to get to who she needed.

"She caught a lot of admirers." Derek snorted as he elbowed Sam, nodding his head into the onlookers.

Sam turned just to see a hefty amount of the team nonchalantly staring at his wife. He blew his whistle, scaring them with the loud noise, "If you don't want to run for the rest of practice and for the rest of your years here, take your damn eyes off my wife or there's going to be hell to pay."

Mercedes laughed once she heard Sam, coming up to the man, she tapped his shoulder, "Excuse me coach."

"Yes ma'am." He turned and smiled at the familiar face, "Mrs. Evans..if I'm not mistaken, you've just passed your husband."

"I'm not here for him." Mercedes said once again before placing a hand on her hip, pursing her lips, "I actually need a favor from you."

"Me?" He asked surprised before crossing his arms, watching the woman nod, he sent her a smile, "What can I help you with?"

"I need to see these following players, if you don't mind. Just for a good seven minutes." She handed him the paper, watching him read over and his eyes go wide with shock.

"Just them?"

"Just them." Mercedes smirked as she watched him open and close his mouth a couple times, "I can say it if you want me to."

"That would be great and yes, you have my permission." He smiled as he handed her back the paper, blowing his whistle to grab everyone's attention. He knew the young woman was over the music department, he didn't know much about it but he did know that she probably had a solid and very legitimate reason for doing what she was about to do, "Listen up everyone. Mrs. Evans has somethings she needs to say, so give her your undivided attention."

"Thank you, coach." Mercedes smiled as she stepped forward, chuckling lowly when she saw most of them avoiding eye contact with her. She tossed her husband a glare, shaking her head once he shrugged and gave her an unapologetic look, "Alright, I won't keep you long. I really need to see any of you who are involved in any kind of way in the music department but I just want the POCs."

Sam eyebrows knitted up in confusion, along with the other coaches as he watch his wife literally separate half of the team. _What are you up to Mercedes Evans?_

Mercedes watched them move and she started walking over to the opposite side of the field, looking down at her watch before she looked at them with a smile, rolling her eyes when she found them still avoiding eye contact, "It's okay to look at me guys, please don't pay attention to Coach Evans."

"I heard that and I meant what I said." Sam called out, giving his wife a small glare as he came and stood by her side, being noisy for one.

Mercedes rolled her eyes once again and turned back to them, an amused smile tugging at her lips, "I've called you guys over here for a reason. I know a few of you are performing tomorrow and I was looking over the songs.." She looked at them pointedly, "I know your personalities and these songs are not reflecting it at all. I'm not like the rest of these people around here, I want y'all to express yourselves through the music you love. No judgements, no limits to be used. I want you to sing something. Right here, right now." She pulled her phone from her pocket and unlocked it, opening it to the notes section once she gestured for them to come.

The boys made their way to her, Terrance taking the phone out of her hand and looking down at the songs she had listed, "Holy sh-damn."

"You want us to sing one of these?" Anthony asked in shock as he looked back up at the woman with wide eyes. There was no way in hell that they could sing any of these around this school and not get in trouble.

"If you're worried about getting in trouble for it, you're not. Trust me." Mercedes handed Sam her paper before pulling the small remote from her back pocket.

"You're a straight thug, I think I'm in love." Terrance mumbled, earning a glare from everyone around him, especially his coach.

"You, go." Mercedes said as she placed her hands on her husband's shoulders, turning him around and giving him a light push.

"Fine." He mumbled, sending them a warning look before heading back over to the other side of the field.

Mercedes chuckled as she turned back to them, "I want you guys to pick one and sing it now. This is going to prepare for tomorrow and give you that extra confidence if you're lacking it. So pick one and I want you to figure who's going to sing what part."

They looked at her in shock again before gathering around and deciding on which song to sing at this moment, they agreed and pointed to one once they handed back her phone, "We're going to sing it together with no music."

Mercedes looked at them and nodded, stepping back a bit, she took the small remote and placed it back in her pocket before crossing her arms over her chest.

 _And I'm in denial_

 _And it don't take no x-ray to see right through my smile_

 _I know, I'd be on the go_

 _And it ain't no drink out there that can numb my soul_

 _No, no_

 _All we want to do is take the chains off_

 _All we want to do is break the chains off_

 _All we want to do is be free_

 _All we want to do is be free_

 _All we want to do is take the chains off_

 _All we want to do is break the chains off_

 _All we want to do is be free_

 _All we want to do is be free_

 _Can you tell me why every time I step outside_

 _I see my niggas die,_

 _Ooh, I'm letting you know_

 _That it ain't no gun they make that can kill my soul_

 _Oh, no_

 _All we want to do is take the chains off_

 _All we want to do is take the chains off_

 _All we want to do is be free_

 _All we want to do is be free_

 _All we want to do is take the chains off_

 _All we want to do is break the chains off_

 _All we want to do is be free_

 _All we want to do is be free_

 _Are we all alone fighting on our own_

 _Please give me a chance_

 _I don't wanna dance_

 _Something's got me down_

 _I will stand my ground,_

 _Don't just stand around_

 _Don't just stand around_

 _All we want to do is take these chains off_

 _All we want to do is break the chains off_

 _All we want to do is be free_

 _All we want to do is be free_

 _All we want to do is take these chains off_

 _All we want to do is break the chains off_

 _All we want to do is be free_

 _All we want to do is be free_

Mercedes smiled as she clapped her hands for them, the rest of the players behind her doing so as well.

"The reason we chose that song is because we needed people to know that we have a voice and we will be heard. What going on in this world now is unacceptable."

"Nothing will get done, if we don't do anything."

"Our lives matter and, people like you can't see that."

"We are more than your token black boys. Meaning, you only care about making money off our talent and not us."

"We are more than that and we for sure in hell is not going to let anymore tell us what we are and are not capable of. We are more than football."

"We're young, intelligent black men and we won't let anyone make us feel bad about being just that."

"Shit." Mercedes whispered as she watched on. Okay, maybe she did plan for them to do the song but she was not expecting them to say any of that at the end. But hell, she felt like a proud mom at the moment. She smiled as she turned off the camera that was hidden on her shirt, "Good jobs guys, you just let the whole school know who you are. I didn't want you to be so nervous before hand but what you just did was on a live feed. I'm extremely proud of you guys. And yes, you're right about everything you just said. You are handsome, intelligent and exceptionally talented young black men. Never let anyone tell you any different." She smiled at them before turning on her heels, looking at the rest, "Hope to see all of you tomorrow night. Coach, thank you for letting me interrupt practice." She gave the speechless men a nod before dropping kiss on her husband's lips, "See you at home."

Sam smiled at her and nodded, "Love you." He watched as she winked at him before heading off the field. Running his hand over the back of his neck, he looked at everyone, "Alright, let's continue practice."

* * *

Mercedes ran her hand through her curls as she held the clipboard in her hands, speaking to some of the people who were heading to their seats. After weeks of planning, the night was finally here. She was super excited for the everyone. They've all worked so hard and it was definitely going to show. She smiled once she saw Quinn coming with Ari in her arms, walking over to them, "Hey you two."

"Mommy." Ari smiled as she reached for her, wrapping her arms around her neck.

"You look gorgeous tonight babe." Quinn gave her a hug and kissed her cheek.

"Thank you, so do you." Mercedes smiled at her best friend. Mercedes was wearing an oasis chevron stripe dress paired with nude stiletto high heel ankle strap sandals. She looked at her daughter and kissed her rosy cheek, "And you look absolutely beautiful my little Cookie Monster."

Arianna giggled as she laid her head down on her shoulder, "Tank yew." The little girl had on a short sleeved floral dress paired with her hot pink doc martens that Aunt Tina brought her. Her curls were out and wild, which she loved anyways.

Quinn looked at her phone, rolling her eyes as she silence her phone for the fifth time today.

"I really think you should change your number." Mercedes said, giving her a knowing look as she moved closer to her.

"I know, I'm going to do it as soon as I get to my parents." She ran her hands through hair, stuffing the device back into the pocket of her jean shorts.

Mercedes placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a gentle squeeze, "Everything's going to be fine, I promise you. Things are going to get better. I love you."

"I love you too." Quinn said with a sad smile as she kissed her forehead, hugging her side.

"Kisses and hugs? I can go for that." Mike greeted as he came up to his two friends, kissing both of their cheeks and hugging them. Grabbing Ari out of her arms and throwing the giggling toddler up in the air and catching her.

"Hey Mike." Mercedes and Quinn greeted at the same time with matching smiles.

"Tina and Austin still sick?"

"Yes, I was going to stay at home but she insisted I come. They're going to watch it on tv, which is really cool that you got this being broadcast."

Mercedes nodded with a smile as she folded her arms, "It is, I'm so excited and thank you for coming Mike, seriously. I appreciate you both being here."

"No problem M, you know I got your back."

"Excuse me Ms. Mercedes but it's time for you to go up." The young producer said with a smile, turning away for a moment to speak into his earpiece.

"Thank you. I'll see you guys in a minute." She said to her friends, blowing her daughter a kiss, laughing when she did it back. She followed behind him to the stage. She saw a woman come up to her and smile, telling her that she was hooking the mic on her and she handed her a microphone.

"It's packed. Like, really packed. We had to get extra chairs." The other producer said once she came up, "I've never seen anything like it. I think the football field would've been a good option as well."

"It's too late for that now and where we were is just fine." Mercedes said with slight annoyance at the second woman, thanking the girl for hooking her up before heading out. She was almost blinded by all the lights but she adjusted herself quickly, smiling at the crowd as they clapped for her. It was indeed a lot of people. She wasn't expecting this many but the more, the merrier, "Welcome everyone. My name is Mercedes Evans and would like to welcome you to our first annual benefit concert. I am so excited for tonight and I can't wait for you all to see all the amazing talent that USC has to offer. These young adults have worked extremely hard preparing for this night and I can one hundred percent say that they're going to blow you away. Not only will you be hearing singing, excellent solo performances on instruments but poems as well. Just a reminder, that all proceeds from tonight are going to local homeless shelters around town. I'm excited to announce our first performer up, a sweet little voice from Texas. I hope your in the mood for some southern comfort because Miss. Hayley Yates is going to give it to you, ladies and gentlemen." She smiled as she clapped for the girl, giving her a hug before making her way to the back, where she turned off her mic and handed it back to woman.

"Mrs. Evans, you're a sight for sore eyes."

Mercedes turned around with a wide smile on her face, placing her hands on her hips as she watched his lopsided smile appear on his face. She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning up to place a soft kiss to them, "Thank you Mr. Evans. You aren't too bad yourself."

Sam smiled as he placed his hands on her lower back and pulled her to him closer, kissing her again, "It's a lot of people out there."

"I know, I didn't expect so many."

"You should've use the football field for backup." He chuckled but stopped when he saw the annoyance flick on her face, "What? I'm not saying that this isn't a good spot.."

"No, I know that. It's just one of the producers said that a few minutes ago and I kind of snapped on her."

Sam snorted as he bent down to kiss the frown that plastered on her lips away, "Please don't ever change Mercedes."

"Trust me, I never will." She giggled as she hugged him, kissing his neck before pulling back with a smirk.

"Don't start something you can't finish." He said, his normal bright green eyes darken within seconds.

Mercedes bit down on her bottom lip before she grabbed his hand, leading him down the steps and to the side where they could still see the performance, "Later, I promise."

"I'm keeping you to that." He smiled as he wrapped his arm around her waist, his head nodding to the song the girl was singing. This was going to be a great night, he could already tell.

* * *

Mercedes was extremely proud of the students. Each performance was beautiful. She never cried so much in her life at listening to people singing. They sang with truth and emotion. She loved that. She looked out at the crowd and could tell they were enjoying it too. They were done with their tv slot but still had the live stream going. She saved the last performance for Antony and Terrance because they asked for it, saying that had something real important they needed to do.

Anthony nodded to the beat as they walked up the stage, he was going to take the first part while Terrance then the second.

 _They used to tell me, used to tell me_

 _I hope you learn to make it on your own_

 _And if you love yourself just know you'll never be alone_

 _I hope that you get everything you want and that you chose_

 _I hope that it's the realest thing that you ever know_

 _Hope you get the pretty girls, that's pretty at everything_

 _Million dollar cribs havin' million dollar dreams_

 _And when you get it all just remember one thing, remember one thing_

 _That one man could change the world_

 _That one man could change the world_

 _All I, all I wanted was a hundred million dollars and a bad chick_

 _Imagine did so much some nights it felt like that I had it_

 _Back on the mattress_

 _Starin' at the ceilin' tryna connect the dots_

 _But it's hard makin' those attachments_

 _I'm talkin' dreamin' so hard, some nights it felt like draft day, you know?_

 _My, my step brother used to flip them bags outside the crib like it was trash day, no Kim K, but he bagged ye ye_

 _But when you're getting fast money, slow down, don't crash_

 _With all the drive in the world, swear you still need gas_

 _Look, think about it, close your eyes, dream about it_

 _Tell your team about it, go make million dollar schemes about it_

 _Success is on the way, I feel it in the distance_

 _Used to look up at the stars and be like ain't too much that's different_

 _I be shinin', they be shinin', get your one shot don't you miss it_

 _What you know bout' wakin' up everyday like you on a mission?_

 _And I_

 _I hope you learn to make it on your own_

 _And if you love yourself just know you'll never be alone_

 _I hope that you get everything you want and that you chose_

 _I hope that it's the realest thing that you ever know_

 _Hope you get the pretty girls, that's pretty at everything_

 _Million dollar cribs havin' million dollar dreams_

 _And when you get it all just remember one thing, remember one thing_

 _One man could change the world_

 _One man could change the world_

 _My grandma taught me if you write your name in stone you'll never get the white out_

 _I grinded out that black whole then performed up at the white house_

 _Standin' next to Jim Carrey, we traded stories then laughed_

 _I said you not the only one I know got rich wearin' masks_

 _Where I'm from I swear their broke, they need way more than the cast_

 _We need more than what you have and then we need more than that_

 _But how am I supposed to say I'm tired_

 _If that girl from West Virginia came up in conditions that I couldn't survive_

 _Went to war, came back alive_

 _On top of that became a female black captain_

 _When being black you had to extra extra try_

 _Way before James Brown made us proud_

 _She bought a crib on the same street as Marvin Gaye right there on Outer Drive_

 _And she taught me how to drive_

 _And she raised the kids, then the kids' kids, and she did it right_

 _Taught me how to love, taught me not to cry_

 _When I die, I hope you teach me how to fly_

 _All my life you've been that angel in disguise..._

Terrance stopped and looked at the crowd who was giving them a standing ovation, causing both of them to smile. He waited for it to die down before he raised the mic up to his mouth again to speak, "I would just like for everyone to know that we would not be up here today if it wasn't for Mrs. Evans."

"Seriously, he's telling the truth. It feels like we've known her for years and it's only been three months, but that's how much of an impact she has had on us."

"And for the simple fact that she cares. She cares about the students and she cares about our future. There's no pretend with her."

"She doesn't discriminate, meaning she doesn't care what your skin color is, where you came from, what you have, it's doesn't matter. She sees you as a person, and for that I have much respect for her."

"And I will always remember what a positive impact she has had on me. Still wish she was married to me instead of my coach though." Terrance laughed, causing the crowd to as well, "I'm just kidding. I have much respect for both of them."

Mercedes had to laugh at that, shaking her head at the boy. She looked over to the crowd and chuckled when she saw Sam glaring at him. There was no doubt that he was going to make him run like hell tomorrow at practice. She wiped her tears away that had fallen during the speech. She didn't even realize that she had made an impact like that. She just was doing what was right and what they deserved.

"Thank you Mrs. Evans for bringing a change to USC this year. And because of that, we're not your closing slot tonight..she is."

"What?" Mercedes asked in a whisper, starting to shake her head no when she saw them both coming, holding out their hands to help her up the stage. Shit and there goes the lights shining on her. She sighed as she grabbed their hands, thanking them as they helped her up. She rubbed her sweaty hands down her dress as she walked to the piano, taking a seat, looking out to the crowd and letting out a nervous chuckle, "I truly wasn't expecting to be up here tonight, it's all about the students."

"DO YOUR THANG M." Mike yelled out clapping, causing the crowd the cheer on.

Mercedes laughed at him, feeling her face flush, she put her head down and focused on the keys before looking back up, "There's this song I have really identified with over the past couple of months. It's real deep and heartbreaking but has a silver lining. And that silver lining is my husband." She paused to take a moment to find him in the crowd, sending him a smile, "He has done so much for me, he just doesn't realize it. I love you baby. Thank you for never giving up and thank you for being the best father to our daughter." With that, she placed her fingers on the keys and began to play.

 _And all I remember is your back  
Walking towards the airport, leaving us all in your past  
I traveled fifteen hundred miles to see you  
Begged you to want me, but you didn't want to_

 _But piece by piece he collected me  
Up off the ground where you abandoned things, yeah  
Piece by piece he filled the holes  
That you burned in me at six years old  
And you know,  
He never walks away  
He never asks for money,  
He takes care of me  
He loves me  
Piece by piece he restored my faith  
That a man can be kind and a father could...stay_

 _And all of your words fall flat  
I made something of myself and now you wanna come back  
But your love—it isn't free, it has to be earned  
Back then I didn't have anything you needed so I was worthless_

Sam felt his eyes start to water up as he listened to his wife pouring her soul into this song. The lyrics were definitely heartbreaking because he knew how much she hurt over the years. But the fact that she was also singing this about him, made his heart swell.

 _But piece by piece he collected me  
Up off the ground, where you abandoned things, yeah  
Piece by piece he filled the holes  
That you burned in me at six years old  
And you know,  
He never walks away  
He never asks for money,  
He takes care of me  
'Cause he loves me  
Piece by piece he restored my faith  
That a man can be kind and a father could stay_

Mercedes felt her tears falling but they weren't because she was sad. She was happy. Happy that Sam was the man he was. Her daughter was going to grow up with a father who loves, would do anything and always be there for her, no matter what. Her eyes found their daughter, who was sitting in Sam's lap, she smiled as she found her curious, hazel eyes and sung the next part to her.

 _Piece by piece I fell far from the tree  
I will never leave her like you left me  
And she will never have to wonder her worth  
Because unlike you I'm going to put her first  
And you know,  
He'll never walk away,  
He'll never break her heart  
He'll take care of things,  
He'll love her  
And piece by piece he'll restore my faith  
That a man can be kind and a father should be great_

 _Piece by Piece_

 _Piece by piece_

 _Piece by piece..._

Mercedes whispered the last part, the clapping startled her a bit because she had forgot that she was in front of a crowd. She cleared her throat and stood up, giving them a small bow, "Thank you." She walked across the stage and down the steps where she met her husband and child.

Sam smiled as he bent down and kissed her lightly on the lips, whispering, "I love you so much."

"I love you too." Mercedes said back, feeling his arm wrap around her waist, she smiled at her daughter who was looking between the two and kissed her cheek, "I love you baby girl, always and forever."

Ari smiled as she leaned forward and kissed her mother on her nose and dragged her small pouty lips down her cheek, causing all three of them to laugh.

This has truly turned out to be an amazing event and even though it was unexpected, she was so glad that she had a chance to sing tonight. That song was self-explanatory and there was no need to go into further detail. It is what it is.

* * *

 **A/N. Is anyone still here? It's been so long you guys, I know and I apologize. For some reason it took me so long to get this chapter right. I had it done then I deleted it twice, then rewrote it, it's been a roller coaster. With that being said, my updates from now on will be slower. Like I said in my HWL A/N, I'm sill here and I'm not going to let my stories go unfinished, you all just won't be getting them as quickly as you were. I hope you guys enjoyed this update because I did. You know how I like to keep what's going on in the world in my stories, no matter how much it pisses me off. But anyways, hope you stick around till the end. Don't forget to check out Handcuffed With Love and A Second Chance!**


	20. They Don't Like Us Together

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

Mercedes kissed Ari as she swung her around in her arms, her giggles and squeals making a bright smile appear on her face. Its been a few weeks since the concert and a lot has happen since then. She had so many bizarre offers coming in, it was crazy. There was this TV company wanting to give her a reality show which was going document her work and personal life, she had record labels wanting to sign her, and magazines who offered her a full spread. She denied them all of course because that was something she did not want. Looking at the clock on the wall, she smiled down at her daughter before kissing her cheek and sitting her to her feet, "Daddy should be home soon." She watched as Ari smiled and ran to the living room to sit on the couch. It was the start of Thanksgiving break and she was so excited for many reasons. First, they had a week off from work. Second, the team was on their way back from Indiana and that was their last away game for the season. Third, she was pretty pumped that Sam's family was coming this week. She hasn't seen them since the wedding and she was so excited. She went over and sat beside her daughter who handed her the remote, "Do you want to watch Doc McStuffins?" She chuckled when her daughter's eyes lit up and she nodded wildly. She turned on the show for her and got up so she could start cleaning up the living room a little.

Sam placed his key in the door, smelling the scent of his house as he walked in made him instantly relax. Its been four long days and he was so happy to be home. Closing and locking the door behind him, he sat his luggage down in the foyer and went to search for his girls. Finding them in the living room, he smiled as entered, "My babies, daddy's home."

"Daddy." Ari shouted with a smile as she stood up on the couch, holding out her arms for the older man.

Sam swooped the little girl up in his arms, pressing kisses across her face, "I missed you so much my baby." He hugged her before going over to his wife, who was busy putting the last of the toys in the cubby. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her to him as he dropped a kiss to her lips, "I've missed you too."

"Welcome back babe." Mercedes smiled into the kiss as she hugged him, "It's good to have you home."

"And until next season, too." He smiled happily as he kissed her again before letting go, sitting his daughter back on the couch because it was clear that her attention was more on her show. He shrugged out off his jacket, "I got a text from my dad. He's going to be in tonight. I'm going to ask Josh if he could pick him up because we have to go to that stupid banquet."

Mercedes chuckled as she headed into the kitchen, "It's not stupid babe and all we have to do is stay for an hour."

Sam mumbled underneath his breath as he followed behind her, "Yeah, yeah."

Mercedes smiled as she grabbed two gatorades from the refrigerator, handing one to him, "By the way, Stevie is here."

"What? Already? I thought he wasn't coming until Sunday evening."

Mercedes nodded as she sat on the stool, taking a sip of her drink, "He got in this morning. He said he wanted to be here early. He's also going to tag alone with us tonight while Ari goes with Tina and Austin to see a movie."

"Where is he now?" Sam asked curiously as he went over to refrigerator to grab him something to eat on.

"He went to the beach to _bae watch_." Mercedes snorted as she began to laugh, remembering exactly how he said it, "Your brother is a passed the definition of hormonal teenager."

Sam chuckled as he grabbed the roast beef sandwich and bit into it, pretty sure that it was his brother's, "He's worse than I was. I was only lusting after one girl at his age." He smirked as he looked up, sending her a wink.

Mercedes gave him a knowing look, leaning over to kiss his cheek with a smile, "And I'm glad it was me."

"Mercedes, I think I want to move here." Stevie said as he closed the front door, heading into the living room, he kissed his niece's forehead and went to the kitchen. His smile on became wider when he saw his brother, "Sam."

"Hey man." Sam said as he put sandwich down and hugged his little brother tightly.

"It's so good to see you, even if you're eating my sandwich." He glared at him as he pulled away, going to take a seat beside his sister in law.

"I'll buy you another one." Sam said with a smirk as he went back to the sandwich, moaning at the taste. It was then that he noticed that he was missing one greeting, "Where's Rocky?"

"Josh is bringing him back before he leaves for Tennessee tomorrow. He took him this morning for me so he could get a bath." Mercedes said just as she heard little feet running against the hardwood.

"Mommy, hungry." Ari said with a pout as she came to her, pulling at some of the curls in her head.

"Stop pulling your hair." Mercedes said as she picked her up, sitting her on her the counter as she moved her small hands away from her head. Gathering all her curly hair up and tying it with a hair tie she had on her wrist. She pressed a kiss to her nose before she got up from her seat to see what she could make for her daughter.

"So why exactly are they having this banquet before Thanksgiving break?"

"Your guess is as good as mines." Sam said to his brother as he took Mercedes' abandoned seat, biting down into the second slice of the sandwich, "But we don't have to stay long. Do you have something to wear?"

"Yeah."

Mercedes handed Ari a blueberry as she got the rest of the things out to prepare her lunch. Hearing her alarm go off, she leaned over and silenced it quickly, "I forgot I have my hair appointment today."

"What's wrong with your hair?"

"I'm just going to get it washed and straighten."

"What? No, don't. I love your curls." Sam said as he looked at her with a slight frown, throwing a chip at her.

Mercedes laughed as she kissed Ari's forehead before handing her to her uncle, "Grow up Samuel." She stuck her phone in her back pocket and went to him, placing a kiss to his lips before exiting out of the kitchen, "Make sure y'all feed my baby. I'll be back in two hours tops."

Stevie looked at Arianna with a smile, swaying them from side to side, "You want to go get some ice cream?"

"No Uncle Stevie, she has to eat real food first." Sam rolled his eyes at his little brother before getting up. He went to the cabinet and grabbed a box of macaroni down and turned around. You could never go wrong with Mac and cheese, especially since Ari loves it.

* * *

Stevie frowned as he adjusted his tie for what felt like the fifth time. Walking behind his brother and sister, he sighed and groaned internally as another person came up to Sam to talk. They were only twenty minutes in and he was irritated. He hated being around rich people. Some of them were okay but majority of them were stuck up and looked down at people who weren't like them. Finding his way to the bar, he hoped that he could get a drink without them asking for his ID.

"I really envy Coach like hell y'all." Terrance said as he stood with some of his teammates at the table, staring openly at the pocket size diva, "Mrs. Evans is seriously one fine woman."

"Can't disagree with you on that man." Dylan said with a goofy smile on his face.

Anthony shook his head in laughter at his two friends. These fools were seriously crushing on her but he couldn't blame them though.

Mercedes had her arm wrapped around Sam's, keeping a tight smile on her face. She was beyond ready go. Hell, she was ready to go when they first walked in. She hated being around these type of people. Grabbing a champagne flute from the tray, she downed it as she turned, frowning slightly when she saw that Stevie was gone. Scanning the room, she glared when she found him at the bar, without a doubt trying to get a drink but a smile tugged at her features when she could see the bartender refusing him one and giving him a soda instead. Seeing some of the boys on the team, she gave them a small wave, chuckling to herself when they wave back excitedly.

"And your wife looks absolutely gorgeous tonight."

Mercedes tuned back in and smiled sincerely at the older couple. They were actually the only bearable people that they have talked to tonight, "Thank you so much Mrs. Lively." Mercedes had decided to do something simple but elegant tonight. She had on black Stella McCartney primrose dress paired with black strappy heels. For her jewelry, she had a beautiful five carat diamond bracelet bounded on her right wrist, careful not to outshine her wedding ring on her left hand and her _mommy_ nameplate necklace on her neck. Her now silk pressed hair was in loose curls, which Sam loved by the way but still wanted her real curls back and she decided to keep her makeup light with a brown stained lipstick on her plump lips.

"Wish you well on your last game and next season, young man. You have done a tremendous job to say this was your first year." Mr. Lively said as he shook Sam's hand before pulling Mercedes in for a hug.

"Thank you, sir." Sam said with a smile to the older gentleman. Giving the man's wife a hug, he bided them a good night before turning to his wife. He smirked as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him, "How many more minutes?"

Mercedes chuckled as she looked at her phone, "Thirty." Hearing him groan, she placed her phone back in her clutch and closed it up, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him lightly on the lips, "We're almost done."

"I know." He murmured across her lips, pulling back a bit with a smile, "You do look beautiful tonight."

"Thank you. And you don't look too bad yourself, handsome. You know I like it when you do this all black numbers." She whispered as she pressed her lips firmly against his, moaning quietly when he deepen it.

"And some people need alcohol to get through these things but I see you have an alternative."

Sam pulled away with a chuckle, nodding to his friend in agreement, "A very delightful alternative."

Mercedes tucked her lips in to stop her smile, fixing her dress, she let out a breath before walking over and giving the man a hug, "Hi."

Derek smiled as he hugged the shorter woman, "You look lovely tonight, Mercedes."

"Thank you."

"I guess you don't look too bad either, Evans." Derek smirked as he let go of his friend's wife, sticking his hands into his pockets.

"I look damn good man." Sam glared at him for a minute before they all broke out into laughter. He wrapped his arm around his wife, kissing her forehead before grabbing a glass a bourbon from the tray. They engaged in a conversation with Derek for a few minutes before the rest of their coaching staff came by with their wives.

Mercedes was taken aback when she first met them last month. Most of them were older but they beat all stereotypes of what coaches wives were like. They had taken the young girl under their wing and told her to always stay humble, not that she had a problem with that.

They were all in a enjoyable conversation until they got rudely interrupted.

"I hope you're over here planning on how you're going to beat us in two weeks because it's going to be hard." The drunk assistant coach said, laughing along with the rest of the rival staff.

"Unlike you, we don't need to plan anything or work our children to death with practices." The head coach, Donnie said as he crossed his arms, glaring at the men, "We don't want no problems tonight."

The man chuckled as his eyes drifted over to Sam, a smirk taking over his lips, "Boy wonder, I have no idea why you would leave the NFL to become a coach. What the hell were you thinking?"

Mercedes glared at the man for a moment while Sam spoke up, "Quite frankly, that's none of your business."

"Pipe down sunshine, we were just wondering why you took the pay cut." One of the team managers said with laugh, smiling down at his wife once she wrapped her arms around him.

"And like he said, that's none of your damn business." Derek spatted out as he looked at them. He was not in the mood for their bullshit this year, "Get lost."

"You boys seriously need to grow up." Donnie's wife said with a shake of her head as she grabbed her husband's arm to lead him away.

Stevie slid off the stool when he heard the commotion coming from where his brother was. As he got closer, he heard the words that were being exchanges and he instantly wished he didn't.

"Let's go Sam." Mercedes said softly as she locked their hands, trying to pull him away. There was no sense in entertaining these clowns that called themselves grown men.

"You're going to let a darkie tell you what to do? I thought you were smarter than that." The man said a little to loudly, causing the whole banquet hall to get quiet with shocked gasps running through it. Did he really just fix his mouth to say that?

Mercedes tighten her grip on Sam's hand, looking up at him. He was red, like seriously red and his jaw was clenched hard, "Sam, let's go, right now." Mercedes said calmly as she pulled on him but she was having a hard time getting through to him. She needed to get him out of here and if she didn't, she was pretty sure her husband would be in jail tonight.

"What the fuck did you just say?"

Derek couldn't believe the words left out of his mouth. He was pissed. Beyond pissed. If he was and sure as hell knew Sam was. Hearing Sam, he turned and looked at his friend. He was livid.

The drunk coach sobered up quickly when he realized what he said. Looking at the people around him, staring in disbelief and disgust, he wanted to apologize but his drunken mind wouldn't let him, "You heard exactly what I said." His words barely left his mouth before he felt a fist connect with his face, causing him to fall to the ground.

"Stevie." Mercedes gasped in shock as she saw him hit the man and continued to do so, "Shit." She looked over at Derek, "Make sure Sam doesn't move." She walked over to where the teen had the man pinned down to the ground, repeatedly hitting him in his face. She forcefully grabbed him by his jacket, trying like hell to get him up but once the Evans' boys blacked out, it was hard to snap them back in. With the help of some of the players, she finally got him up, wrapping her arm around his to lead him away but he broke loose again.

"You son of a bitch. Don't you ever in your life fix your mouth to say anything like that about my sister again." Stevie said in rage as he kicked the man one last time in his side before Mercedes grabbed him again, "You will be seeing me again. I swear to god, you're going to get what's coming to you."

Mercedes moved her hair behind her ear as she tried to walk as fast as she could in her heels while making sure she kept a tight grip on her brother. This night didn't turn out how she expected, at all.

* * *

When leaving the banquet, Mercedes took Stevie to the hospital for hand, where they spent a good two hours. Once they were finished, she drove home in a uncomfortable silence. Sam didn't say a word, neither did Stevie. She had to do most of the talking to the doctor and on the way home, she was just left to her thoughts. She got out the truck and followed behind the two, when she got in the house, she sighed as she sat her clutch down on the table and removed her heels from her feet.

Dwight heard the front door open and he got up from the couch with a smile on his face. Seeing the three come in, it immediately dropped when he noticed the looks on their faces, "What's wrong?" Sam shrugged off his coat and came to hug him but it was quick. He watched his oldest walked out the room and he turned his attention to his youngest, who sat down on the couch. Seeing his wrapped hand, he went over to him, "What happened?"

Mercedes went to the kitchen to fix Stevie an ice pack. They had given him pain meds at the hospital and told them to keep ice on it. Hearing Dwight, she turned and went to him, giving the older man a tight hug.

"Hey sweetheart." Dwight said softly as he hugged her back, letting go, he watched as she went over and sat in front of Stevie, who was staring at her intently, "Is anyone going to tell me what happened?"

"A coach from another team said something out of line and let's just say, this is the end results." Mercedes answered quietly as she held ice bag on his hand, sighing.

"No, he didn't just thing say anything. Don't try to downplay it Mercedes." Stevie said angrily as he moved his eyes away from her to his dad, "He was damn prick dad, a fucking racist. He referred to Mercedes as darkie."

Dwight eyes went wide at his son's words before he looked at Mercedes, who had an emotionless expression plastered on her face, "Oh my god."

"Yeah, and when Sam asked him to repeat what he said. He didn't even have remorse about it. I was pissed so I hit it and I kept hitting him. I don't regret a damn thing." Stevie stood up abruptly and began to paced. He stopped and stared at Mercedes, "How are you not upset about this? Cry, curse, flip a table or something, Mercedes. You have a right to be upset and yet you're so calm. You didn't even flinch when he called you that."

Mercedes tucked her hair behind her ears before looking at him, taking a deep breath, "Sit down." She waited for him to take a seat before she looked at him, not noticing Sam leaning against the doorframe, "Stevie, I am hurt but this is not the first time something like this has happened. Since Sam and I have been together, it has always been people to say stuff like that. It only got worse when he got into the league. At first, I cried. I cried like hell. But over the years, I've learned that I can't let people's words, who I don't even know, bring me down. I am stronger than that. People are going to hate, can't stop them from it but I learned to not care. It still hurts but after while, I just laugh it off because I know that their words don't matter. I have family and friends that love me for me. Plenty of people love Sam and I's relationship. I love my husband and I know he loves me. That's all that matters."

Stevie shook his head as he looked down at the floor, "It's just not okay."

"It's not but what can we do about it? We can't change people." Mercedes said softy as she looked at him, "I'm okay, I promise. I love you and I thank you for sticking up for me." She stood up from the couch and went to hug him, kissing his forehead.

Stevie hugged her back tightly, he didn't realize he was crying until he started to shake. It wasn't right for anyone to say those kinds of things and get away with it, whispering, "Mark my words, he has what's coming to him."

Dwight stood up for the couch to give them a moment, seeing Sam, he gestured for him to follow him out to the backyard. Once they got outside, he turned to his son and noticed he had the same emotionless but deadly expression on his face, "Calm down. I know what you're thinking and don't say I don't because I do. I raised you, I know you son so just calm down."

Sam stared at the space behind his dad, relaxing his jaw muscles a bit before taking a deep breath, "Dad, I swear I was going to kill him."

"I know son."

"On the way home, I thought about my daughter. She's my world and I couldn't let her grow up without a father because I let some asshole get the best out of me." Sam balled his fists repeatedly before taking a seat, running his hands over his face, "For fuck sakes, I'm so sick of people like him in this world."

Dwight took a seat beside him, patting his back, "I know Sam. It's horrible that they would even fix their mouths to say horrible things like that but like Mercedes said, we can't change people. It's hard but you have to learn how to ignore, I know it hurts but it's what we have to do." He placed his arm around his shoulders as he looked up to the sky, "I'm grateful that Stevie did get ahold of him before you did."

"He saved his life." Sam replied back honestly as he turned to look at his dad, completely relaxing the muscles in his face, "I will not tolerate anyone disrespecting my wife, point blank. So Stevie's right, he needs to watch out because he's not getting away with what he said, drunk or not."

Dwight nodded understandably as he pulled the young man in for a hug, "I love you, kid."

"I love you too, dad." Sam said as he hugged him back, seeing Mercedes come to the door, he motioned for her to come out.

Dwight let go of him and stood up, turning to see Mercedes, he gave her a small smile, squeezing her shoulder lightly as he walked passed her and back into the house.

Mercedes chewed on her lip as she walked to him, sitting down in his lap, she sighed as she turned to the front and laid back against his chest.

Sam leaned back on the couch, wrapping his arms around her. He found her hand and laced the fingers together.

Mercedes brought their conjoined hands to her lips, kissing them softly when she turned to him. Taking in his still angry features, she frowned slightly as she leaned forward and kissed him, "You okay?"

"I should be asking you that." He mumbled as he stared into her brown eyes, rubbing his thumb along her fingers.

"I'm fine, I promise." She said quietly and she meant that. She was beyond okay and she wished that they would believe her. She has been dealing with ignorance for awhile and although it hurt, she really got over it quickly, "I just know that I love you and I always will, despite what everyone thinks."

"I love you, you know that but I want you to never forget it." Sam said as he kissed her again before pulling her completely down and wrapping his arms around her.

"We're not going that let that asshole ruin our break, okay?" She said as she gave him a knowing look, hearing him sigh but nod, she smiled and gave him a small peck, "And you should definitely talk to Stevie. He saved your ass tonight, in more ways than one."

"I know and I will. I'm going to give him time to cool off." Sam said as he as he innocently rubbed his hand up and down her hip. Closing his eyes, tonight definitely turned out worse than he expected but like his wife said, he wasn't going to let it ruin their break..but that didn't mean he was going to let the man off, not by a long shot.

* * *

 **A/N. So what did you think of tonight's update? Not going to give my point by point review this time, I want to hear from y'all!**


	21. Day After

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE MENTION.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

Mercedes threw on her USC sweatshirt over her black leggings as she stood in front of the mirror. Putting her hair into a ponytail and sliding into her boots, she turned off the lights to the bedroom and made her way down the stairs. She heard talking in the kitchen and she knew who it was before even walking in. Dwight had went to pick Stephanie and Stacey up from the airport this morning. Before she could even get into the kitchen good enough, she was attacked with a big hug from Stacey.

"I've missed you so much."

Mercedes smiled as she hugged the girl back, "I've missed you too Stacey." She chuckled when Stephanie pulled the young girl away and hugged her, "And you too Steph. I'm so glad you guys can stay this whole week."

"I know right." Stacey said with a big smile as she sat down on the stool, pouring some cereal in the bowl.

"Where's everyone else?" Mercedes asked when she noticed that it was just them.

"Dad took Ari to the park, Stevie went for a run and Sam is.." Stephanie sighed as she opened a bottle of water, "He's outside talking to his lawyer."

Mercedes looked at her in shock, "What?"

"He called last night wanting to get the full story straight in case that ass tries to press charges on Stevie." Stephanie said angrily as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Stacey wrapped her arms back around Mercedes, laying her head on her shoulder, "I'm sorry you have to go through this."

"It's okay." Mercedes rubbed her back, staring at Stephanie who looked like she was in tears, "Seriously guys, I'm fine. Please understand that I'm not just saying it for the hell of it because I'm not. My skin has gotten really thick over the years, words don't affect me like they did in the past." She watched as they nodded quietly, Stacey letting go of her. She headed to the living room to pick up her purse and head towards the front.

Stevie took his earphones out of his ears and wrapped them around his iPod. Unlocking the door with his key, he opened it up and stepped into the house. He closed the door behind him and made his way up the stairs, only stopping when he heard Mercedes' voice.

"Take a shower, get dressed and meet me in the car."

Stevie turned and watched as she headed out the door, sighing, he walked up the stairs to do what she said.

Sam ran his fingers over his forehead as he listened to the man go on and on. He was honestly still very much pissed off over what happened and his lawyer was only making him more pissed by the second. There was no way in hell that asshole was going to press charges on his little brother..if he knew what's good for him. Finally, he got him off the phone, only to have to answer his manager, Brandon, call, "What do I owe the pleasure of hearing your voice?"

"I'm going to need you to turn to ESPN now."

Sam placed his phone on speaker and turned on his iPad that was in front of him, clicking the app, he immediately saw the live press conference coverage and he turned the volume up, "Oh goodie, let's see how he's going to take up for his coach on this one." He said sarcastically as he watched UCLA's athletic director began to talk.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I'm sorry that we have to meet under these circumstances. I would first like to apologize to Mr. Samuel Evans and his wife. I'm honestly really sorry for the unfortunate events that happened Friday night. I'm not going to lie, it's pretty messed up that those words were even said. I want to assure everyone but especially Mrs. Evans that we do not tolerate behavior nor people like that in our program. With that being said, the coach that was involved in this horrific event has been fired. Drunk or not, those comments shouldn't never left his mouth. On behalf of the UCLA athletic department, we are really, really sorry to not only Mrs. Evans but to anyone who was hurt by this."

"I don't know about you Sam but I believe them." Brandon said as he looked on with a sigh, shaking his head, "Fucking asshole. I can't believe this happened."

Sam was half listening to Brandon as he continue to watch. A slew of texts came in from his bosses and he started responding to them before answering him, "Yeah B, it was sincere but it doesn't change the fact he said that shit. I'm not letting it go, so I'm informing you right now as my friend and my manager, shit is going to go down and there's nothing you can do to stop me. When you come for my fucking wife, don't expect me not to retaliate."

"I've been knowing you for years. I don't expect you to let this go. I'm taking off my rational manager's hat and putting on my friend hat, do what the hell you have to do man."

"I will." He turned around when he heard a knock on the door, seeing his sister telling him to get off the phone, "I'm going to let you go man, have a good holiday."

"You too, Sam. Say hi to your family for me."

"Okay." Sam said his goodbyes as he hung up his phone, picking up his iPad and making his way into the house.

Stephanie folded her arms across her chest and scanned her brother's face, she took note of the serious expression plastered on it, "What's up?"

Sam looked behind her and noticed that Stacey was on the phone, moving in closer to her, "Do you still talk to Demarcus?"

"From time to time."

"Do you know if he still lives here?"

"Yeah." Stephanie said slowly, noticing that all too familiar devious smirk twitching on his lips.

"Great. I'm going to need his number. I'm have a business question." He said truthfully as he walked passed her and headed for the kitchen.

Stephanie turned and raised a brow at him, whispering to herself, "Business question my ass, little brother." She pulled out her phone and sent her old college friend a text before looking back at him. There was only one reason you called Demarcus and she was going to pretend that she didn't know.

* * *

Mercedes held onto the basket as she walked down the aisle. She was picking up everything that she needed for something for tonight and Thanksgiving dinner Thursday.

Stevie came back and sat the two turkeys in the basket, wiping his hands on his jeans, "They were almost gone. I had to snatch one of them out of some dude's hand. I had it first."

Mercedes snorted as she hit his shoulder, shaking her head as she grabbed two bottles of vanilla flavor, "That's why I wanted to go ahead and get this out of the way. It's going to be a mess in these stores the next couple of days." She crossed that off her list and began pushing the basket, glancing at him, "You alright?"

Stevie nodded as he turned the hat on his head, placing his hands into his hoodie pocket, looking forward as they continue to walk through the store, "After I finally calmed down, I sat in the room and thought about what happened. I don't regret what I did but I blacked out and I could get in trouble for it."

"You're not going to get in trouble Stevie." Mercedes reassured him as they came to a stop, standing in one of the check out lines, "I'm not going to let that happened and I'm pretty positive Sam isn't either."

"That's what Sam said when he talked to me this morning but I don't know." Stevie sighed as he looked down at her, "I'm still trying to figure out why he thanked me."

"Because you saved him from getting locked up. Your brother has a tendency to snap, much like you but he's worse." Mercedes said honestly as she looked at him, "Like I was telling you last night, this is not the first time something like this has happened. In college, me and Sam went to a bar with some of his teammates after one of their games. We were having a good time until some of the players from the team they played earlier came in. Let's just say, I got called out of my name multiple times, which caused a bad reaction from everyone. It turned into a huge brawl, and your brother blacked out. He went after the captain who said it and ended up breaking his jaw. Josh had to tackle and pin him to the ground to stop him."

Stevie eyes were wide as he listened to Mercedes. He knew his brother was protective but damn, he didn't realize how far he would go, "Why didn't we hear about this? Does dad even know?"

"Your father does know." Mercedes said as they moved up in the line, "As for why you didn't hear about it, it was kept under wraps because nobody snitched that night. No matter how much the other team tried to say Sam did it, people in the bar that night said that they didn't see a thing."

"Wow." Stevie said in shock as he looked at her for a moment, "So both of you meant that literally?"

"Yeah." Mercedes gave him a small smile, "Stevie, Sam would do whatever it takes to protect his family. I realized that all way back in high school. But as I got older, I really saw it. That's why I know for sure you're not going to get in trouble for anything."

It was a lot to process for Stevie as he moved up, starting to put their items on the counter.

Mercedes pulled her wallet from her purse, turning around when she felt someone tap on her shoulder. Seeing the taller nervous looking boy, she gave him a confused look, "Can I help you?"

"Um, yeah. My name is Cody Brown and I'm the quarterback for UCLA." He said as he watched the boy behind her come to her side almost immediately. He realized that it was the same one from the other night and he needed to get what he came over to say out quick, "I just want to apologize for what happened."

"That's sweet but you don't have to do that. You weren't the one who said anything."

"I know but I feel like I need to. It wasn't right for what he said." He sighed as he looked at her again before sticking his hands into his pockets, "I should let you go. I just wanted to come by and say that."

"Well thank you for doing so. It really means a lot to me." Mercedes gave the boy a sincere smile.

Cody nodded with a smile, starting to walk backwards, "Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Mrs. Evans."

"You too." Mercedes said as she gave him a small wave before he walked off, turning on her heels, she looked at Stevie and patted his back, "Let pay for this so we can head back."

Stevie nodded before he went back to place the rest of the things on the counter, deep in thought of everything that was going on.

* * *

Sam chuckled to himself as he watched his little girl try to take her shoes off but was having a hard time doing so. He would help her but his little munchkin was so independent that when he tried to, she pushed his hands out of the way.

Letting a small huff escape her mouth, the one year old frown slightly as she looked up at her father, lifting up her legs, "Daddie."

"Oh so now you want my help?" He smirked as he lifted his pouting daughter up and placed her on the side of him on the couch, untying the show laces of her purple converses and taking them off her feet, "There you go."

Ari smiled as she stood up on the couch, wrapping her small arms around his neck.

Sam leaned back, pressing kisses across her face, earning squeals and giggles. He placed a kiss on her nose before staring at her, "I love you." He couldn't help but smile as he watched her mouth move, trying to form the words he just said.

"I luv yew."

Sam laughed as he kissed her cheek, "You're one smart cookie."

Arianna beamed brightly as she laid her head down on his chest, yawning as she closed her sleepy eyes.

Sam rubbed her back, swaying slowly so that he could help her fall asleep. Hearing footsteps and paws against the hardwood, he looked up when he saw Mercedes come in with Rocky beside her, "Hey."

"Hi." She said as she made her way over to where they were, dropping a kiss to Ari's cheek then to his lips, "Someone's sleepy."

"Dad wore her out at the park." Sam said with chuckle, seeing that their daughter had quickly went to sleep on his chest, "I got her to say I love you."

"You did?" Mercedes asked as she lit up, sitting next to them, a smile plastered on her face.

"Mhm, it was adorable." Sam said as he kissed her forehead, turning his head to look at his wife, "Where were you earlier?"

"Stevie and I went to the grocery store." She said as she moved his hair back from out of his eyes, smiling a bit, "You'll never guess what happened."

"For my own sanity, I hope nothing bad."

"No." She reassured him as she leaned forward and kissed him, rubbing his cheek with her hand, "The quarterback from UCLA came up to me and apologized."

"Seriously?"

Mercedes nodded as she twirled one of her fingers into her daughter's curls, "Yeah. I told him it was really sweet that he did but he didn't have to apologize for someone else's actions."

"Seems like everyone is apologizing but the person who is actually responsible." Sam said as he gestured his head for his wife to look behind her. Watching her eyes go wide, he nodded, "They've been coming all day. I had to tell the delivery man to just leave the cards and take the flowers to surrounding hospitals."

"I'm glad you did." Mercedes said lowly as she stared at all the flowers and balloons, frowning, "The last thing I want is for people to feel sorry for me."

"I know babe and I'm going to get rid of the rest of them later on." Sam said softly as he looked at her, "I love you."

"I love you too." She smiled as she pressed another kiss to his lips, only moving when she felt Ari stirring, watching as the little girl scooted up some more on her dad and tightening her arms around his neck, "Daddy's girl."

Sam laughed quietly as he kissed the little girl's forehead, staring back at his wife, "She's my world..both of you are. That's why I would do anything to protect you two."

Mercedes tilted her head to the side when she noticed that look on his face. She was going to question him about it but got interrupted when she heard her phone ringing. She looked at the screen and frowned as she silenced it.

"Why are you looking like that?"

Mercedes looked back at him then the phone, handing it to him, "He won't stop calling."

Sam grabbed her phone from her hand and glanced at the screen, rolling his eyes as he sat the phone on the table beside him, "What the hell do he want?"

"Who knows." Mercedes said as she sighed, playing with the end of her French braid, "I made it clear that I wanted nothing to do with him after all the shit he pulled. Why all of sudden do he want to be in my life?"

"That's something I can't answer babe." Sam said sincerely as he turned to the side, handing her the phone back.

Mercedes ran her hands over her face, groaning when she heard it starting to ring again. She got up from the couch, going to the other room so she wouldn't wake her daughter up. She slid the answer button and put it to her ear, "What?"

"Mercedes, just give me a minute."

"Why should I?"

"Because I have no one." Michael said as he leaned back in the chair, staring at the pictures on his desk, "Karen moved out last month, Micah is out of the country and you're all the way on the west coast."

"Well Michael, whose fault is that? Everything that is happening to you, you deserve it. You treat people like crap so this is what you get." Mercedes said through clenched teeth, "I'm going to ask you again, what do you want?"

"I want to be in your life. I want to be in my granddaughter's life. She doesn't even know me."

"And it's going to stay that way. Goodbye Michael." Mercedes hung up the phone before placing it on the table, taking a deep breath as she shook her head, wiping the tears that escaped from her eyes as she let out a frustrated grunt.

"Baby?" Sam called out for her, not getting an answer. He laid their daughter on the couch before standing up, walking to the foyer, "You okay?"

"I'm fine."

"No you're not." Sam said quietly as he pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her.

Mercedes laid her head down on his chest, mumbling, "I'm so over this week already. All I wanted to do was enjoy our family and shit keeps happening."

"I think you need to take your own advice from last night and not let any of this mess ruin our week." He placed his chin on top of her head, rubbing her back, "Everything's going to be okay and I'm going to make sure of it."

Mercedes nodded her head, sniffling as she pulled back to look at him, teary brown eyes staring into his, "I love you so much."

"Ditto." He smiled down at her, placing his lips on hers, "Always and forever."

Mercedes gave him another kiss before letting go, grabbing his hand and leading him back to the living room. He was right. She wasn't going to let anything or anyone ruin this week for her. She was determined to have a great Thanksgiving with the ones she loved.

* * *

 **A/N. Love reading your feedback! I bet y'all want to know who the hell is Demarcus, but you will know soon enough. Stevie and Mercedes relationship is amazing. Are you really shock at how far Sam would go if someone says or do anything to hurt Mercedes? (I'm not) Ari is adorable, as always. She brightens up the story so much! And do you think Mercedes should let her father back in her life? Remember in a previous chapter it was stated that everyone was going to be coming to Cali for Thanksgiving..I meant everyone. The drama is far from over and this is definitely going to be a Thanksgiving for the books!**


	22. Important!

Hey guys, this is not an update but a very important note. I'm very thankful for one of my readers for bringing this to my attention! FF has been acting up with me for the past two weeks & today I found out some of my chapters got deleted. CHP. 18 goes straight into CHP. 19 but it jumps a whole plot. I don't know what's going on but I hope they fix it soon. I'm going to try to see if I can reload the missing chapters, and get the pattern back going but if not, I apologize! If anyone sees anything like this in the other stories, please don't hesitate to let me know!

Thank you guys & have a wonderful Sunday!

-TWrites

UPDATE: Okay, guys. I don't know how it happened but the original CHP. 19 was somehow deleted. As I'm seeing right now, it didn't really messed up the rest of the flow but it still screwed up my readers reading. I don't have the OG chapter anymore so if you forgot what happens in that chapter, it's just Quinn telling Mercedes she's getting a divorce, Mercedes planning for her event & Sam coming to her rehearsal telling her that he would never do her like Puck did to Quinn. Sorry for the inconvenience!


	23. Thanksgiving

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

Sam opened the door to his home, hearing the commotion coming from the kitchen. He smiled as he sat his keys down and headed towards his family. It was after nine at night and he knew they were prepping for tomorrow. Peeping around the corner, he saw his siblings and Mercedes getting a lot of food prepared. He looked over at Stevie and snickered when he saw the confusion on his face as stood in front of the seasoned turkey with the injector in his hand.

"Where exactly do I stick it again?" Stevie asked out loud, earning groans from all the women in the kitchen.

Mercedes bumped him to the side with her hip, grabbing the injector from his hand and doing it herself, "Breasts, thighs, legs and wings. You need to remember this Stevie. One day you're going to have to do this for your wife."

Stevie grunted as he folded his arms, watching as Mercedes quickly fattened the turkey up with the marinade.

"Hey y'all." Sam said once he came out of his amusement and greeted them.

"Hey Sammy." Stacey said with a smile as she scooped up a little of the mushed up sweet potatoes on the spoon and put it to his mouth, "Taste."

Sam ate the filling from the spoon, nodding as he looked at his little sister, "Delicious." He chuckled when she fist pumped in the air before grabbing the large bowl and going over to fill the crust, "Where's everyone else?"

"Mercedes made him go get some sleep and Ari is upstairs with Baylee and Quinn getting ready for bed." Stephanie answered as she picked up a strawberry and placed it in her mouth, hearing her phone ding, "Rotate Stace."

Sam walked over to Mercedes, dropping a kiss to her cheek as he stepped back and watched her wash her hands.

"Where have you been?" She asked curiously as she shut off the water and grabbed a towel to dry her hands, looking up at her husband as she handed the aluminum foil to Stevie.

"I had to take care of something." Sam crossed his arms over his chest, seeing her raise a brow, he gave her an innocent smile, "What?"

"I'm watching you." She squinted her eyes before moving pass him to go to the refrigerator.

Sam chuckled as he sat down on the stool, "Do y'all need any help?"

"You can start peeling the potatoes." Stephanie said as she put the pies on the rack, bending down to grab the sack of potatoes and handing them to her brother, "Peel, wash with cold water and cut into cubes. Not slices Sam."

"I know." Sam said as he snatched the heavy bag, glaring at his sister for bringing up the one time he messed up.

Mercedes snickered at the two siblings, shaking her head as she opened her refrigerator, "Retract your claws, children."

Stacey smirked at Mercedes as she slid the spoon into the sink, looking between her brother and sister, "You heard mom."

"Speaking of mom, have any of you heard from ours?" Stevie as he took a seat by his brother, missing the eye roll from his older sister as she turned back around. He opened up a bag a chips and place one in his mouth.

Stacey nodded as she sat on top of the counter, "I talked to her last week. She asked if we were coming here for Thanksgiving, I told her yes and she got pissed because Sam didn't invite her."

Sam rolled his eyes, "I don't want her here for a reason. All she is going to do is cause drama and I don't need any of it in our home."

Mercedes bit down on her lip as she looked at her husband before looking away, going to the cabinet to grab some more sugar, "I invited her."

"YOU DID WHAT?" Sam and Stephanie's voices ran out at the same time, staring at the shorter woman with shocked looks on their faces.

Mercedes pursed her lips as she placed the sugar on the counter, "You heard me."

"We didn't even discuss this, Mercedes."

"Like you discussed with me how you planned not to invite her?" Mercedes sassed back at him, seeing the angry look on his face didn't faze her one bit, "Look, I made her promise that if she came, she would behave. I also made it clear that she would not disrespect my home nor the people in it or she would have to leave."

Stevie chewed on another chip, looking around the kitchen at the angry faces of his older siblings. The quietness after what Mercedes just said stayed like that for a minute until she spoke up again.

"Oh and Sam?" She said sweetly before walking over, hitting him upside his head, "If you ever in your life yell at me again, I'm going to smash your face in..same goes for you, Stephanie."

Stacey snorted as she watched the woman walk out the kitchen, tucking her lips into her mouth to keep her laughter in as she turned her back to them.

Stevie snickered as he placed another chip in his mouth, watching as Sam rubbed the side of his head and Stephanie grumble something underneath her breath. Oh yeah, this was definitely going to be an interesting Thanksgiving.

* * *

Dwight took a sip from his cup after he checked the timer on the turkey that was currently frying in the grease. He stepped back on the patio and saw his son glaring at his wife through the window. Rolling his eyes, he walked over to him and popped him on his shoulder, "Grow up son."

Sam grunted as he folded his arms across his chest, taking his eyes off his wife before turning to his dad, "She invited mom."

"I know. She called and told me before I came out here."

Sam stared at his dad in disbelief, "Why didn't she talk to me about it?"

"Because you were going to react like this." Dwight said in an obvious tone, taking a seat on the couch, "Listen Sam, I want you to seriously listen to me. We all know that your mom wasn't a mother to any of you, we know that. But one thing positive I can say about her, she's trying to change that with being the best grandmother she can to Arianna. You're too damn stubborn to realize that. Mercedes told me that she calls her every night to check on her, Ari and even you."

Sam frowned started to fade as he listened to his father, sighing, he uncrossed his arms and stared at the man before his eyes drifted back to his wife.

Quinn wiped her flour covered finger on Ari's nose, causing the little girl to squeal and go cross eyed as she looked at her nose, "Silly girl."

Ari smiled at her, eyes brightening when she saw her daddy coming in, "Daddie, look." She took her finger and pointed to her nose, looking down at it with big smile.

Sam came up to her with a smile, spotting the flour on her nose, he chuckled lightly, "You've been cooking, cookie?" He kissed his daughter's cheek before walking around the counter, heading to Mercedes who was in the corner, "Need any help?"

Mercedes placed the carrots on the cutting board and grabbed a knife, beginning to cut up the vegetables, "Nope."

Sam smirked as he stared at her intently, "I love you." When she didn't reply, he leaned down and stole a kiss, wrapping an arm around her waist, "And I'm sorry for being an ass."

Mercedes stopped cutting, letting out a sigh when she noticed that he wasn't going to leave her alone. She licked her lips before she looked up at him, "Don't expect me to apologize for not telling you about your mom."

"I'm not."

"Good." She stared at him for a moment before resuming to what she was doing, "I love you too."

Sam kissed her forehead before stepping back, "Let me ask again without you being mad at me. Do you need any help?"

Mercedes turned around, looking behind him with a smile, "You can stop our daughter from eating all the marshmallows."

Sam turned to the side and sure enough, Ari had a handful of mini marshmallows in her mouth. She looked up at him with wide, guilty brown eyes, he chuckled just as the doorbell rung, "Arianna."

"I think that's the Chang clan." Mercedes said as she wiped her hands and headed to get the door.

Sam smiled as he watched his daughter closely, making sure she didn't choke. He turned to Quinn and saw her putting the dressing in the oven, "Q, where's Baylee?"

"She went with your sisters to pick up your mom."

Sam watched as Ari took another marshmallow out the bag and put it to his mouth, smiling as he opened his mouth and he snorted when she dropped it in. He kissed her nose before standing up straight, chewing on it, "How are you?"

"I'm good." She said with a sincere smile, "Considering that I just signed my divorce papers a couple of days ago and got full custody of both of my girls, I feel free and happy, feelings I didn't expect to feel."

"I'm seriously happy for you Quinn, honest." He said as he looked at her, "Puck is an a-s-s-h-o-l-e, always have been but I thought he had changed for the better. I was wrong and I'm for one happy that you left his a-s-s. Hopefully you will find someone who will truly love and cherish you."

"Thanks Sam but right now, I'm just focusing on myself and my girls. They come first before anything."

"Trust me, I know what you mean." He said as he looked at Ari with a lopsided grin, pinching her cheek. He looked up when he heard Austin calling him, chuckling, "Hey there bud."

Austin smiled as he hugged his uncle around the waist, quickly letting go to do the same to Quinn.

Arianna squealed when she saw her cousin, clapping her hands when he came and picked her carefully off the counter and hugged her. The scene caused all the adults to smile and aww them. Those two were truly inseparable. They knew that once they both got older, Austin was definitely going to be that big, overprotective brother. Austin grabbed her hand and led her to the living room.

"Alright, what do y'all need help with?" Mike asked as he sat down the two cake pans he had in his hands.

"Nothing, you boys go watch football or something, we got it in here." Mercedes said as she looped her arm with Tina's, pulling her in the kitchen. Quinn grabbed two beer bottles and handed it to them, giggling at the skeptical looks on their face.

"Why do I have a feeling you're trying to get rid of us?"

"Because we are." Quinn replied to Sam with a smirk before shooing them away, "Get out."

"It's my kitchen." Sam mumbled as he snatched up the bottles, pulling Mike along with him.

Mercedes snorted as she rolled her eyes at her husband, turning to her friends, "Now that they are gone, I have to tell you guys something."

"You're pregnant?" Tina asked excitedly, stopping her squeal from escaping out.

"No." Mercedes told her friend as she took a seat on the stool, folding her arms on the counter, "I got a text from Santana."

Quinn choked on the wine while Tina's eyes went wide, "WHAT?"

"Shh." Mercedes hushed them, turning to look back to see if Sam heard them but him and Mike were too busy in a deep conversation of their own, "She texted me yesterday out of the blue. I don't even know how she got my new phone number."

"What did she say?" Tina asked curiously as she sat beside Mercedes.

"She's in town next week and wants to have lunch so we can talk." Mercedes watched as Quinn picked up two more glasses and the bottle of wine.

Quinn handed her a drink before crossing her arms, "What did you say?"

"I said I'll think about it and I will. I'm really leaning more towards a no but.." Mercedes sighed as she took a sip of her wine, "I don't know."

Before they could question her some more, they heard the front door opening, "We'll talk about this later."

Mercedes nodded at Quinn before downing the rest of the liquid in her mouth, getting out of her seat. She saw Mary coming behind the girls and she let a smile take over her lips.

Mary smiled brightly when she came in, speaking to the ladies. She went over and wrapped Mercedes in a big hug, kissing her cheek, "You look so lovely, Mercedes."

"Thank you, Ms. Mary." Mercedes said as she gave her a tight squeeze before letting go, turning towards the living room, she spotted Sam getting off the couch with a small frown on his lips. She gave him a look, watching as he let out a sigh and pursed them instead.

Mary was finish hugging Quinn when she spotted her son. Seeing the look on his face, she sighed as she walked over to him and gave him a hug, "Hi Sam."

"Mom." He said as he reluctantly hugged her back, letting go, "Where's your husband?"

"He went to spend Thanksgiving with his family. His father isn't doing too well." She said with a sad smile as she rubbed his shoulder, stepping back.

"Alright, it's all done." Dwight said as he came from the backdoor with a pan in his hands, stepping in, he nodded to his ex-wife, "Mary."

"Hello Dwight." She greeted with a nod of her own, looking at everyone in the room, "I'm going to go put my things up and change out of these clothes. I'll be back down to help."

Mercedes nodded with a smile, "Okay."

Stevie stared as she walked out the room, his mouth hanging low as he turned back to them, "Who is she and what has she done with mom?"

"It's a front. She know she can't be her true self because Mercedes would so kindly ask her to bounce." Stephanie said, wincing at the glare her sister in law was sending.

Mercedes rolled her eyes at her as she stood next to Dwight, looking at the man with a smile before looking at the fried turkey, "It looks good and smells delicious, Papa."

"I use my mom's secret recipe that I'm going to give to Arianna when she's older. I don't trust y'all with it." He chuckled when all his kids, including Mercedes groaned. Hearing his phone ring, he picked it out of his pocket, "If you'll excuse me."

Sam heard his own phone starting to ring and he left out the room.

"Alright, let's finish up so we can eat." Mercedes said as she watched everyone take on a task in the kitchen. Turning to the side, she watched Sam closely before returning to her cutting board. He was up to something and she was going to find out exactly what that was.

* * *

Dinner had surprisingly turned out really good. The conversation flowed well and it was definitely a shock that everyone was getting along. Mary smiled at Ari, who was sitting in Dwight's lap eating some of the sweet potato casserole. It was just her and her ex-husband sitting in the dining room while everyone else went to put up all the leftovers. She was so in in amazed at how intelligent the little girl was already, "She loves you, Dwight."

"Yeah, she's reminds me of Mercedes. Her heart is so big and loving." He smiled at the little girl before looking up, seeing Sam come back in, "Who's playing tonight?"

"Patriots and Eagles." Sam said as held the small plate that contain a slice of pecan pie in his hands. He watched as Ari reached for a piece of turkey off her plate, chuckling when the little girl stuffed a piece it in her mouth. Yep, that was definitely his child, "Slow down baby."

Ari looked at him as she chewed, smiling before looking up at her grandpa and offering him a piece.

Mary laughed at her as she stood up, placing her hands in her cardigan pockets as she turned to her son, "Can I talk to you and your siblings for a minute?"

Sam met his dad's eyes before going to hers, nodding slowly as he pushed off the wall, "Sure." He leaned into the kitchen and called for them, stepping back out and headed to the next room over.

Stevie was in the mist of piling his plate back up with some of Mercedes' delicious mac and cheese when he heard Sam call them. Sighing, he took a forkful of the food and stuck it in his mouth before walking out. Seeing them in the next room over, he was the last one in so he took a seat in one of the chairs.

"I know I haven't been the best mother to you all and I really have no excuse for that." Mary sighed as she played with her fingers, raising her head to look at each of them, "But that doesn't mean I don't love you because I do. I can't change to past but I can move on from it and be a better parent to you four. I want to be better not only for you but my granddaughter and future grandchildren."

"What made you realize all this?"

"Honestly? Mercedes." She said with a sad smile, moving her hair back, "We talk often but recently, we had a long, important conversation. She made me realize all my wrongs and gave me ultimatum." Mary saw the shocked looks on their faces and she nodded, "She told me that if I didn't realize how much I hurt all of you and didn't sincerely try to change it, I was going to lose all of you for good and she would completely wash her hands with me. She said she had no problem not letting Arianna be apart of my life." She wiped the tears that were falling, "As I listened to her, that's when everything hit me like a ton a bricks. I need to change because I can't lose any of you."

The silence that illuminated in the room was scaring her. They were all letting Mary's words sink in, Stacey being the first one to speak up, "Well, I forgive you mom. All I ask is for you to be there for us, like a mother should be."

"Same." Stevie spoke up from us seat, folding his arms across his chest.

Sam was quiet as he leaned against the wall, letting what his mom just said marinate in his head. For once in her life, he could tell she was remorseful and sincere with her words. He watched as Stephanie stood up and headed to the door, "Steph.."

"No, I'm not going to listen to this." She said in a calm tone, "She say she realizes her wrongs but she has no idea how much damage she has caused. So no, I can't sit here and forgive you Mary."

Mary watched as her oldest walked out the room. She tried not to let her words get to her but failed miserably. Wiping her face, she mustered up a weak smile and gave it to the other three, "I'm really sorry."

"Mom, Stephanie's right. You did cause a lot of damage, a lot. It's not easy to just forgive you for it." Sam started as he let out a sigh, running his hands over his face before looking at her, "I am willing to give you another chance because I want Ari to know her grandmother. But the second that you revert back to your old ways, I swear to you, I'm done."

"I understand."

"Good."

Stacey smiled as she walked over and gave her mom a hug, "Let's got back and enjoy the rest of the day." She led her mom out the room, leaving her two brothers together.

"Do you think she means what she says?" Stevie asked Sam as he stood up from the chair.

"Only time will tell little bro." Sam said as he wrapped his arm around his shoulders, heading out the room, "Time will tell."

* * *

Mercedes took a sip of her wine as she cuddled against Sam on the couch. After dinner and all the food was put up, everyone retired to the living room to watch the game. All the kids were given their baths earlier and they were upstairs with Stacey and Stephanie in the movie room.

"That was a bad call." Mike said as he watched the TV intently, sticking his fork in what was in fourth slice of sweet potato pie.

Tina rolled her eyes as she looked at her husband, "Honey, you're going to go into a sugar coma."

Sam chuckled at his two friends as he looked up from his phone, handing it to Mercedes, "Look what Josh sent."

Mercedes looked at the phone screen and snorted at the picture of Josh frowning and pointing to his plate, reading the text. _Let Mercedes know that I've gotten so use to her delicious mac and cheese that aunt Maggie's don't measure up_ , "He is such a nut."

"Anyone up for Black Friday shopping?"

"You shouldn't be." Dwight said as he looked at his son, "You still owe me three thousand dollars for getting your truck fixed."

Stevie rolled his eyes when everyone started laughing at him, groaning loudly, "Come on dad, cut me some slack."

"Welcome to adulthood, Stevie." Quinn said with a light chuckle, "There's no more cutting slack for you."

Mercedes snickered as she watched him sulk back in the chair, "I told you."

Stevie waved her off before getting up, heading to the kitchen to get him something to drink.

"Bring me some cake back." Sam called out, laughing when he heard the boy groan louder. Hearing the doorbell ring, he turned to Mercedes, "You expecting someone?"

Mercedes shook her head no as she moved off of him, watching as he got up from the couch. She tuned back into the conversation that was being had, chuckling at them as her eyes moved to watch the game.

Sam walked through the foyer, having an eerie feeling running through him. He looked out the peephole and his eyes went wide only to turn angry when he unlocked the door, swinging it open. He stepped out and pushed the man back before closing the door behind him, "Why the hell are you here?"

The game was heading into the third quarter when Mercedes noticed that Sam wasn't back. Getting up, she excused herself and made her way to the front door, opening it, she saw his back shielding someone from her view, "Babe, what's going on?"

Sam sighed as he moved out the way, revealing the man. He watched as an angry scowl appeared on his wife's face.

"You asshole." She said as she made her way down the steps, pushing him against his chest, only to stop when Sam pulled her back, "Get the hell off of my property."

"I need to talk to Quinn. She has no right to take my kids away from me." Puck said as he glared at them both before it turned into a shock expression when a punch hit him square in the face.

"Mercedes." Sam said as he wrapped his arms around her to keep her still. She had every right to take up for her friend but damn, he didn't realize she was going to clock the hell out of him.

"You have some fucking nerves." She said in an angry tone, huffing in frustration when Sam wouldn't let her go, "She has every right to take _her_ children away from you. After what you said and did, you don't deserve to be in their lives at all."

Puck held his bleeding nose with his hands, grunting out in pain, "You know nothing."

"Wrong, you asshole. I know everything. You hurt my best friend and I'm never going to let you do it again." She said in a deadly tone, "You say you wanted your freedom, you have it. Leave them alone."

"What's going on out here?" Quinn asked once she came out, seeing Puck standing there, her blood began to boil as she stepped down the steps.

 _Oh shit!_ Sam thought as he looked between them. By the look on Quinn's face, he knew he couldn't stop her from doing something without having to let go of his wife. This was not going to end well.

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **A/N. The drama is far from over you guys! Let's start from the beginning. I cackled at the whole entire kitchen part from Stevie not getting where to inject the turkey after being told a hundred times to Mercedes snapping on both Sam and Stephanie. Again, Ari is adorable and so is Austin. Do you think Mary has really changed? What do you think Santana wants? Do you think Stephanie and Sam should forgive their mother? Where did Puck come from & how exactly did he get their new address? So many questions, that will all get answered in part two. :) **


	24. The Aftermath Of Thanksgiving

**DISCLAIMER:I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **DEMARCUS LEWIS-RONREACO LEE**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Quinn folded her arms across her chest and glared at the man angrily.

"I came to get you to change your mind." He said as he moved his hand away from his aching nose, wincing as the blood was still pouring out, "You're wrong for what you did."

"Are you kidding me right now?" She let out a humorless laugh, moving towards him, "You cheated on me four times and continuously told me how me and my girls were holding you back. So no, I'm not wrong for what I did."

"You don't have to explain yourself to his ass." Mercedes called out to her friend, trying to get Sam to let her go but he had her in a tight hold.

Puck rolled his eyes at Mercedes before looking at Quinn, "Listen, I meant what I said about you but the girls..we need to split custody."

Mercedes watched him closely before realization dawned on her, "You son of a bitch. You come here acting like you care but you don't. You're about to get dropped from your team. See one thing I learned from being around people in the league is that they don't like when negative attention is brought by one of their players because it brings unwanted negative attention onto them. Which means they lose money." Mercedes finally got enough strength to get out of Sam's hold, which shocked him, "You're only making a big deal about this now because your ass is about to get cut, not because you care about them."

Quinn arms dropped to her side as she looked at her ex-husband, seeing his jaw starting to clench. Her angry features melted into pure sadness, eyes filling up with a fresh batch of tears, "Is that true?"

Sam looked at his old friend and watched as he remained quite. Shaking his head vigorously, his mouth twitching up into a frown, "Un-fucking-believable. What the hell happened to you?"

Puck eyes never left Mercedes', glaring at the shorter woman harshly before laughing, "You think you have it good, huh? Just wait. Sam is not going to stick around forever. He will do the same thing I did."

Mercedes just smirked as she balled up her fist, hitting him for the second time tonight, watching as he fell down to the ground. If his nose wasn't broken from earlier, it definitely was now, "You're a weak minded bitch. You're not even an ounce of a man that Sam is, never will be." She bent down and grabbed his face with her hand, squeezing it tightly, "Let's make something clear right now. I don't ever want to see your face again..matter of fact, I'm going to make sure that happens. I'll make you disappear off the face of this earth if you ever try to come near Quinn and the girls again. Get lost. If you know what's good for you, you wouldn't think about calling the cops, Puckerman." She let his face go roughly before standing up, "Now get the hell off my property."

Sam watched as he scrambled to get off the ground, running to his car, knowing that this was the last time that he was going to see that asshole. He didn't even have time to react to his words because he was too wrapped into the fact that Mercedes had just handled him like a boss.

Mercedes turned to Quinn and saw that she was on the verge of breaking down. She went over and wrapped her into a big hug.

Quinn laid her head down on Mercedes' shoulder, letting her tears fall as she hugged her back. She had no idea how horrible he was and she literally felt sick in her stomach. But no matter how upset she was, she was glad that he showed his true colors because now, she could protect her daughters from him. She was beyond grateful for Mercedes right now because she legit froze and went weak, "Thank you, Mercedes. You are truly more than my best friend. You're my sister."

Mercedes nodded as she leaned back, wiping the tears away from her face, "And I'm always going to be here for you, don't ever forget that."

"Ditto." She gave her a teary smile as she sniffled, hugging her once again before letting go, "I'm going to go check on Baylee."

"Wipe your face completely before you go up, you don't want to let her see you've be crying." Sam offered as he walked over and gave her a hug, seeing her nod, he stepped beside Mercedes as she walked into the house. He turned to his wife, "I'm at lost for words to be honest. I can't believe he would try to pull some shit like that."

"He's lucky I only punched him in the nose, which I'm definitely feeling the aftermath of now." Mercedes said with a slight frown as she looked at her bruised fist.

Sam smiled down as her as he grabbed her hand, placing a kiss on it, "My little Ali, you've been missed tremendously." He watched as she let out a small chuckle, running his hands over her cheeks, he hooked his finger underneath her chin so she could look up at him, "I hope you don't let what he said linger in your mind because you know I'm never going to do that shit to you."

"I know that, Sam. Trust me, I know." She said with a smile as she placed a kiss on his lips, "But if you ever do, you'll end up way worse. What I did to him was child's play."

Sam saw the glint in her eye and he knew for sure she was dead serious. When the hell did his wife turn so gangsta?

"That's if you ever do it but I know you wouldn't babe." She said sweetly, giggling when she saw the look on his face. She grabbed his hand and led him back into the house, running into everyone when they entered the kitchen.

"What happened? And why is your fist bruised, M?" Mike asked as he went to his best friend, lifting up her hand and inspecting it while Tina went to make her an ice bag.

Sam sighed as he sat on the stool and began to explain to them what just happened.

"I can't believe him." Mike said with a shake of his head as he placed the bag on Mercedes' hand before taking a seat by Sam.

"It's a good thing Quinn has that poor excuse of a man out of her life." Dwight said with his arms crossed, "She needs to get a restraining order and change her number."

"She's already one step ahead of you on that dad." Sam said as he had his arms circled around his wife's neck.

"You and Mercedes need to too. And you also need to find out how he got your address."

"I think I have a pretty good idea on how that happened. I'll take care of it." Mercedes spoke up as she winced when she moved the ice, looking back at them, "Sorry if this ruined everyone's Thanksgiving. We were having such a wonderful day."

"He can't ruin nothing for me. We had a fantastic day and we're going to continue to because I'm hungry again, plus the next game is about to start." Mike said, earning a chuckle from everyone in there.

Mercedes watched as they all went and got them some more food before she turned around to look at Sam, "No secrets okay?"

Sam knew what she was getting at when she said that. Pulling her to the other room, he sighed as he ran his hand though his hair, opening his mouth to speak but she beat him to it.

"Santana wants to meet with me next week."

"What?" Sam asked in shocked, looking at her with wide eyes, "How..what..huh?"

"Yeah, she texted me yesterday asking if we could meet."

"How the hell are these people getting our address and numbers?"

"I believe it's Lexi. I mean, I know she's not doing it purposely but.." Mercedes grunted as she ran her good hand through her hair, "I'm going to call her tomorrow and see if she did or not."

Sam sighed as he put his hands on the back of his neck, taking a deep breath. The last time they all saw Santana was a year and half ago at Mercedes' baby shower, where she called herself apologizing. Why after all this time did she want to meet up with his wife?, "Are you going to go?"

Mercedes stared at him, trying to read his facial expression but couldn't, "I don't know yet."

"If you want my opinion, I don't want you too but you're a grown woman, you make your own decisions and I'm going to respect that."

"And I love you for that." She said with a smile as she leaned forward and kissed his cheek, giggling when he pouted and pointed to his lips. Rolling her eyes playfully, she planted a big one of his lips before pulling back with a smack, "I love you so much."

"I love you so much more." He said with a lopsided grin before kissing her again, standing back, "Now let's go wrap your hand and watch some football." He put his arm around her shoulders and led her up the back stairs. He was thankful that their Thanksgiving wasn't completely ruined because they did have a wonderful day. He made a mental note to call his lawyer tomorrow morning and get that retraining order like his dad said. Although that prick of an ex-friend was not on his mind, Santana was. What the hell was she up to?

* * *

Sam looked across the street before crossing it, walking down the steps. He had taken care of everything he needed to do regarding the Puck situation. He had his lawyer contact Quinn's so they could go ahead and take care of her as well. He could see the relieved look on his friend's face as all the details were sorted out, it was being made blatantly clear that everything was going to be alright. Crossing that off of his list, he had to take care of something. Opening the door to the office, he smiled at the receptionist as he walked up, "How are you today ma'am?"

The dark skinned older woman looked up from her computer and gave the young man a smile, "Good son, how can I help you?"

"I have a two o'clock appointment."

The woman nodded before looking at the screen, clicking the online appointment book and searching for the time, "Mr. Sam Evans?"

"Yes ma'am."

"He's been waiting for you." She said as she pulled out a keycard and handed it to him for the elevator, "You can go on up, just slide this in and push two."

"Thank you." He smiled as he grabbed the card and headed towards the already opened elevator. Sliding the key down, he pressed the button and watched as the doors closed. It didn't take long for them to open back up, stepping out. He spotted the man at his desk and he cleared his throat, "Demarcus Lewis, it's been awhile."

Demarcus looked up from his computer and smiled at the blonde, standing up, he walked from around his desk, holding out his hand, "Too long man."

"Thank you for helping me, I really appreciate it." Sam said as he shook his hand before pulling him into a hug, patting his back.

"No problem, Sam. I take this kind of thing personally when it comes to my fellow beautiful black queens. Don't mess with them and we won't have a problem." He said truthfully as he sat on his desk, picking up a folder and handing it to him, "I have a meeting on the fourth floor in five minutes but I think you can handle it."

Sam took the folder and opened it, seeing the name, he looked back up and gave the man a smirk. When you first meet Demarcus Lewis, you will learn that he is the third richest club owner in the state of California. If you really knew Demarcus Lewis, you would know that he is a man who has a lot of connections and isn't so innocent as you think, "Thank you for this."

"No problem and don't worry about a payment. We get together soon so we can reconnect. I would love to meet your family."

"That we can do." Sam smiled he tucked the folder underneath his arm.

Demarcus shook his head before letting out a laugh, "I can't believe you have a wife and daughter. Damn man, you were so childish, I thought you would never grow up."

Sam snorted in agreement with him on that. He remembered going to visit Stephanie for weekends and he would always be a pest, just like a little brother should be, "Yeah, I've done a lot of growing up over the years."

"I'm real proud of you." He said as he went back and sat down in his chair, "Don't worry about getting any stains on the carpet, I'll have it cleaned. Make sure you stop back before you leave."

"Most definitely will." Sam gave him a nod before heading back to the elevator and getting in, pushing the button for the fourth floor. He closed his eyes and took a calming breath, praying for forgiveness because he definitely was going to need after this. Stepping out, he saw the man in question through the glass on his phone, his eyes hidden by his black shades. He counted down from ten before he walked to the office, giving the two men who were standing outside a nod before opening the door and going in.

"About time you showed up. Listen, I'm on a tight schedule and I'm not quite comfortable being in this part of town." He said without looking up from his phone.

Sam bit the inside of his cheek before he heard the door lock from the outside, throwing the folder on the table before he rolled up his sleeves, "You know Eric, I wouldn't be comfortable either if I was you."

Eric looked up in shock when he heard the voice, seeing an angry looking Sam staring back at him, "What the hell is this?"

"A meeting, just not the one you were expecting." He walked over to him, watching as he jumped up and moved towards the door, trying to open it but couldn't, "You know I didn't forget about what happened."

"Look man, what I said..I-I was drunk." Eric said as he began to beat on the door but nobody answered, he turned around only to find Sam right in front of him.

"I don't give a damn if you were drunk or not." He said as he grabbed him by his collar and pushed him up against the wall, causing his sunglasses to fall, "You don't open your mouth and disrespect my wife, period." Sam let go and punched him in the face, watching as he stumbled back against the wall, he hit him again, causing the man to fall to the ground.

Eric groaned as he held his nose, eyes going wide when he kicked him in his side, "I'm sorry man, I apologize. Just stop."

"You're a week late on that apology." Sam bent down and grabbed the back of his shirt, taking his stumbling body and throwing him against the large conference room table.

Eric spit out the blood the was filling up in his mouth, eyes closely repeatedly as he held his side. He couldn't even muster to strength to yell out when he felt Sam grabbed the back of his neck and slammed his face down into the table.

Sam was breathing heavily once he stood back, watching his chest heaved up and down as he laid back on the table, his eyes were opening and closely. He walked over to him, taking his hand to squeeze his cheeks together, turning his head so he could look at him, "I would do more but I know when I need to stop because if I continue, you might not leave here walking. Nobody messes with my wife and gets away with, no one." He let him go roughly before stepping back, "Watch your back when you leave, it's a lot people who saw the video and they're pretty pissed about it." With that, he knocked on the door, waiting for them to open it back up.

"All done, Mr. Evans?"

Sam looked at the taller man with a smile as he nodded, "Yes I am. Y'all have a wonderful day." He said before he made his way to the elevator for the final time, looking back at the man, he shook his head before going in. People were going to learn the hard way not to mess with him and his family.

* * *

Mercedes hummed lowly as she sat back on the bed, brushing out her daughter's hair. Despite the little drama they had this week, Thanksgiving turned out amazing. She was so happy that everyone got alone, at least for the day. She was a little sad though. She didn't get a chance to talk to her brother. It's been two months since she last spoke with him but he does write letters. She just missed hearing his voice.

"Thinking about Micah?"

Mercedes looked up and smiled sadly at the blonde, "Yeah."

Quinn smiled as she came in, taking a seat in Sam's spot on the bed. She laid her head down on Mercedes' shoulder and watched as she did her daughter's hair, "He's fine."

"I know but it would be a relief to hear him say it instead of writing it in a letter." She stopped brushing, watching as her daughter crawled to the end of the bed to grab her phone. She sighed with a pout, keeping her eyes on her Ari, "Move out here."

"I think I am." She replied almost immediately, looking up, she saw her eye her skeptically and she chuckled, "I've been thinking about it a lot recently and thought why the hell not? I've been looking to see if any wedding planning companies were hiring and there's four in the area so I applied to all of them."

"Yes, yes, yes." She squealed as she hugged her tightly, "Oh my god Q, yes."

"By the way she's saying yes, you would think you had proposed." They pulled apart when they heard Sam's voice, spotting him at the doorway. They giggled at him and pulled apart.

"No silly."

Sam chuckled as he pushed off the door, swooping his little girl up from the bed and placed the giggling toddler on his shoulders, "So what's with the excitement?"

Mercedes smiled as she watched Ari place her hands in her daddy's hair, moving them around to mess it up, "Quinn's going to move out here."

"Seriously?"

Quinn nodded with a shrug, beaming brightly, "Yes."

"That's awesome." He said as he sat down at the edge of the bed, grabbing his daughter and putting her back down, "You know you're welcome to stay with us until you find your own place."

"I couldn't impose.."

"Come on Q, you know us better than that." She groaned as she bumped shoulders with her, "You and the girls are welcome here always."

Quinn looked at both of their pleading faces, her eyes drifting down to Ari, who had the same one as her parents. _This family is something serious_ she thought before throwing her hands up, "Fine but only until I find a place."

"Great." Mercedes said as she and Sam clapped her hands, causing Ari to the same.

"You three are so adorable, I swear." Quinn laughed as she slid out the bed, making her way to the door, "I'm going to go call my parents."

"Alright." Sam called after her before moving back to his spot, hovering over Mercedes for a second, he kissed her lips softy before plopping down on the side.

"Where have you been all day?" She asked curiously as she watched their daughter crawl between them, climbing onto her daddy's chest.

Sam smiled as he leaned up and kissed her cheek, watching as the little girl played with the necklace around his neck. He turned his head to the side to look at her, "I told you I met with my lawyer."

"Well yeah, that was this morning. It's five o'clock Sam." She squinted her eyes at him, "You're up to no good, I know it."

"It's nothing, I promise." He kissed her shoulder before giving her a cheeky smile and turning back to their daughter, "Don't worry your beautiful face, little mama."

"little momma." Arianna repeated with a smile, earning a chuckle from both of her parents. She leaned down and wrapped her arms around her daddy's neck and laid her head on him.

Mercedes smiled at the scene, hearing her cellphone vibrate, she picked it up and saw she had a text from Josh. Reading the text before looking at the picture. _I think your husband had something to do with this._ _I don't blame him for doing it though._ Mercedes enlarged the picture of an article and read the title to herself. _Ex-football coach, Eric Davis was beaten badly this evening in Crenshaw.._ She scrolled down and read through the article before the picture came up. Shit. He was legit messed up. Looking over at Sam, she had no doubt in her mind that he had something to do with this. Weird thing was, she didn't feel bad for the asshole. He had it coming, and he only had himself to blame. Her husband was a protector. As she has been saying for the last few days and knowing for years, he would do anything to protect the his family.

* * *

 **A/N. A lot to take in, huh? I would recap but I want you guys to do it for me lol. I will say this, don't ever come for Sam or Mercedes, they will make you wish you didn't come for them!**


	25. Bad Blood

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH UCLA OR USC.**

 **Brandon Jenkins (BJ)-Tom Williamson**

* * *

Mercedes moved her hair behind her shoulder as she walked into the restaurant, giving the host a smile. She gave her the name and watched as she grabbed a menu, leading the way. Yep, she had decided against better judgment to meet Santana for lunch. She didn't know what possessed her but she felt like she needed to get some things off her chest. Seeing her texting on her phone, she cleared her throat and watched as she lifted her head up.

Santana stood up and gave her a old friend a smile, "Hi."

"Hey." Mercedes said as she stared at her for a moment, watching her come in for a hug. She didn't want to be rude so she gave her one. It was awkward but she didn't let it show. Pulling back, she placed her purse in the empty chair and sat down. Her eyes met Santana's again and she was still not over how different she looked. Her face was fuller and she was now sporting a short, blonde hairstyle. She snapped out of her amusement when she heard the waiter come by and introduce himself, asking if he could get her anything. Just ordering herself a water, she smiled at him before leaning back in the chair.

"Thank you for coming." Santana started as she placed her hands in her lap, "I know I'm the last person you ever expected to hear from again."

"Yeah, you are." Mercedes sat up and stared at her, "Not to be rude or anything, but why am I here? I haven't seen or spoken to you in over a year."

Santana nodded softly as she played with her fingers, "I am really sorry about what I have done in the past. I realized how crazy, disrespectful and hurtful I was. Honestly, I was so embarrassed by my actions, I just thought it would be better if I wasn't in your life." She said sadly as she picked up her wine glass and took a long sip before putting it down, "I've been getting a lot of help, focusing on my work and just starting over fresh with my life."

"Where do you live now?"

"Arizona." Santana said, watching her eyebrows knit in confusion, she laughed as she fiddled with her bracelet, "Yeah, I-umm..I met someone at a work conference last year and we connected. Eight months after our first date, I moved to Arizona and we're now engaged."

To say Mercedes was shocked was an understatement. She did not expect to hear any of that come out of her mouth. From the forgiveness to her being engaged. What in the actually hell?

"I know it's a lot to take in." She chuckled lightly as she looked at her sadly, "I really wouldn't have the guts to be here today if Sidney didn't encourage me."

"Sidney?"

Santana nodded as she unlocked her phone and went to a picture of the two of them, handing it to Mercedes.

Mercedes grabbed the phone and looked at the picture of the two sitting in what looked like their living room, "Oh wow, she's beautiful."

"She is."

Mercedes let a sincere smile take over her lips before looking back up at her, handing the phone back, "I'm honestly happy for you Santana."

"Thanks Ced..Mercedes." She caught herself as she put her phone on the table, sighing, "I really miss my friendship with not only you but Sam as well. I just want us to all be good."

"I'm going to be honest with you, unless my husband magically turns into a different person, that's not going to happen with Sam." Mercedes said as she crossed her ankles, chewing on her bottom lip.

Santana nodded sadly, "I kind of figured that. I hurt both of you but especially him. I ruined the best friendship I had over my own stupidity."

Mercedes didn't know exactly what else she could say about the situation. She knew Sam would never want Santana back into his life after what she did and honestly, she understood why completely. But something about her old friend was making her think that she deserved another chance.

"I'm here for another week and I would love for us to have dinner..all of us." Santana said as she sent the woman a sad smile, "I know it's a long shot but.."

"Let me think about it first and talk to Sam, okay?" She watched her nod, sending her a smile. She opened up the menu and looked over it. Surprisingly, their lunch date went well. The two friends fell back into their old ways, laughing and catching up. It was going to be a long road back to repairing their friendship but this was a great start.

* * *

Sam chuckled as he watched Ari look at his phone curiously, turning her head to the side once the dog filter came onto her face. He had decided to bring his little Cookie Monster with him to work and they have been having quite an adventure today.

Arianna's eyes went wide as a gasp escaped her mouth, looking up at Sam with a smile while pointing to his phone, "doggie."

Sam smiled at her and nodded, "That's right. You're so smart, Ari." He snorted when she turned back around and moved her face closer to the screen. He looked up when he heard a knock on his door, seeing majority of the team at his door and outside of his windows.

"Excuse us coach..can we talk to you for a second?"

"Yeah, but all of you are not going to fit in here so I'll come out." He watched as they nodded and he stood up, placing Ari to her feet so she could walk. Ari held onto his phone tightly as she walked on the beside him, looking up at the young men curiously as he stepped out into their film room, "What's up guys?"

Dylan looked at his teammates before looking back at their coach, clearing his throat, "We decided as a team that we're going to forfeit the game Friday."

"And before you say anything, hear us out." Anthony spoke up as he uncrossed his arms, Terrance nodding at his friend before speaking.

"We're not playing against them because of what happened two weeks ago." Terrance shook his head in disgust, "We deal with it people calling us out of our name all the time on the field but we know how to use our anger in our contact. But when you say some s-h-i-t like that to a girl or woman of color, you're asking for a trip to the emergency room."

"He not only disrespected your wife but also your daughter, our moms, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, cousins.." BJ spoke up quietly, causing his teammates to look at him in shock. The freshman was always quiet so him speaking up definitely caught them off guard. He felt his eyes starting to water up as he looked at the little girl before going back to his coach, "I have a four year old sister. I would do anything for her. I'm pretty sure I would be in jail if anyone say or do anything to her."

Sam leaned against his door, taking in what they were all saying as the silence loomed in the hallway. Without a word, he stepped back into his office and went straight to his phone.

Arianna watched him leave before her eyes went back to the players. She smiled as she walked over to Brandon, holding up the phone. Every since the beginning of the year, Ari has been with her daddy for some of his practices and she took an instant liking to BJ.

BJ smiled as he picked her up, looking at the phone, he chuckled when he saw that she was playing with the Snapchat filters, "Pretty girl."

Sam stepped back out after a few minutes, scanning the confused faces. He waited patiently in silence until he heard the door open.

Mercedes closed the door behind her, walking over towards her husband. He had caught her just in time because she was just about to pass his way. Moving her hair back behind her ears, she crossed her arms over her chest and stared at them, "You're playing the game Friday." She held her hand up when she saw them open their mouths, shaking her head, "Listen. I know you're p-i-s-s-e-d, I am too but you guys need to finish your season off strong. This is your last game. You not only owe your coaches but you owe it to yourselves. Take the anger and let it out on the field. Let it be known that when you play us, we're going make you wish you stayed where you came from. Make them know, your words will not be taken lightly on or off the field. This just doesn't go for UCLA, this goes for all the teams. You guys are not going to let them get the best of you by giving up, go out their and kick some butt. Am I clear?"

Sam watched them closely as he stood beside his wife. One of the reasons why he wanted her to come talk to them is because they needed to hear this from her. Mercedes was like this short, beautiful ball of inspiration and she gave speeches like a true queen.

"Yes ma'am."

"You'll understand why you need to do this, I promise you will. And when you do, you're going to be glad you did."

Sam draped his arm around her neck and pulled her to him, placing a kiss on her forehead before turning back to his players, "Go get ready for practice."

Mercedes watched them sigh and nod their heads, smiling when BJ came up and handed Ari to her. Mercedes kissed her daughter's cheek as she hugged her, turning around to head into Sam's office, "I spend more time down here than I do my own office. They should hire me as the team's personal speech giver."

Sam chuckled as he sat down on the couch, "You pretty much have the job already."

Mercedes smiled as she straighten the bow up on their daughter's head, "I understand why they wanted to not play though. I would want to do the same but they need to go out and make it be known not to mess with them."

"You don't realize how much of what you said is going to play out in future games. Their mindset is completely different after these past two weeks. I don't think they're going to let anything else slide, which is a good thing." Sam said just as Ari handed him his phone and climbed in his lap. He smiled as he placed a kiss on top of nose, turning to his wife, "Where have you been all day anyways?"

"I met Santana for lunch." She said, seeing him roll his eyes, she let out a defeated sigh, "I have to admit, I wasn't going to go at first but I'm glad I did."

Sam bit the inside of his cheek to prevent himself from saying something because he knew for sure it was going to come out the wrong way and he did not want to have a fight with his wife because of it. So he decided to keep his mouth closed and listen to what she had to say.

"This time, her forgiveness, I felt was really sincere. She has changed and matured a lot, Sam. She even found love and is engaged." She watched him stare at her in disbelief, rolling her eyes, "It's true. Her name is Sidney, she four years older than us and she's a physical therapist."

"Well, that's great for her, I guess." Sam shrugged as he looked away from his wife, picking up their daughter and lifting her in the air, causing the little girl's giggles to sound out through the room.

Mercedes played with end of her sweater, staring at him for a minute, "She wants us all to have dinner and a civil conversation to see if we can get build a new friendship."

"You can if you want to but I'm just letting you know, I have no intentions of trying to be friends with her." He said as he sat Ari down, watching as the little girl climbed down and heard over to the little play area he had sat up for her in his office, "Not after all the shit she did to us. That's one person, I don't want back in my life."

Mercedes bit down on her bottom lip, eyes going to Ari, who was happily color on large piece of paper. She knew he was going to react this way and she also knew that it was nothing she could do to change his mind. She got up from the couch, sticking her phone into her back pocket and walking over to Ari. She picked her up and kissed her cheek, grabbing her bag from his desk.

"Where are you going?" Sam asked softly as he watched her turn around as he stood up, frowning, "Don't leave."

"I have a few errands I need to run before I go home." She raised her eyes to look at him, seeing the frown on his lips, she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to them before walking away.

Sam watched Ari waved her hand as they disappeared out his office. He sighed as he ran his hands over his face, walking back to take a seat in his chair. He knew she was upset with him but he couldn't help it. Santana was the cause to a lot of their problems in the past and he wasn't going to let it go ever.

* * *

Mercedes leaned over and pulled the beanie down on a sleeping Ari's head, making sure her jacket was all the way zipped up. Stepping back, she looked up at Josh with a smile, "It feels like I haven't seen you in forever."

Josh looked down at her with a smile as he swayed the little girl, "I know. I've been so busy with work. I went from just painting a few paintings for the gallery to having people wanting to buy my work."

"I'm super proud of you." Mercedes said as she fixed the scarf around his neck. For it just being the first week in December and in California at that, it sure was freezing, "How are things with you and Lexi?"

"About that.." He started with a sigh, shaking his head, "We decided that it's just best that we stay friends. We have completely different pathways we want to take with our future."

"She doesn't want kids." Mercedes said knowing exactly why, seeing him nod, she pouted as she wrapped her arm around his shoulders, pulling him into a side hug, "Aw babe, you're going find the perfect girl one day, I can guarantee that."

"I sure hope so." Josh smiled sadly, pressing a kiss to her forehead, "Why are you and Sam fighting?"

"We're not fighting."

"Something's going on because you're not acting like your normal Sam and Mercedes selves."

Mercedes crossed her legs as she watched the people across the field, "Santana's in town. We had lunch the other day and we talked." _Well that explains it._ Josh thought, looking over when she started speaking again, "I don't know Josh. I really feel in my heart and from what I saw, she's actually being genuine. I understand why Sam is mad and I'm not saying he doesn't have a right to be. I just want to move on and I'm in a wonderful place in my life that I'm willing to give her another chance."

Josh eyes went toward the field, hearing the band starting to play, "As long as you keep your guard up Mercedes. I don't want to see her hurt you again."

Mercedes nodded to herself, hearing the crowd cheering loudly, she watched as the teams both came out onto the field for a quick warmup.

Sam placed his headset around his neck, thanking one of the mangers when he handed him his board. He was so focused on the board, that he didn't notice anyone coming up to him until they cleared their throat. Looking up, he raised a brow when he found the head coach and a few of his other coaches in front of him.

"Coach." The man nodded into direction, catching attention from some of the USC coaches, "We just want to come over and apologize. We don't want there to be any bad blood between us, just our friendly rivalry."

Sam gave them a blank stare, blocking out Derek's cussing at them through his headset, "Let's get something straight here. I am the new kid on the block so here's two things you need to know about me. Don't ever in your like fucking question me like y'all did. When I say it's none of your business, I mean that shit. Two, don't ever come for my family or you're going to end up like your friend." Giving them a hard stare before walking off, leaving them standing there in shock. Hearing the whistle blow, he saw the referees get the boys off the field and ask for the captains for tonight.

Anthony, Terrance, Dylan, and Wes went up to the middle of the field. Hearing the refs go over the rules, they nodded as they listen on and shook hands when asked to. Before the ref flipped the coin to see who gets to ball first, the cornerback from the other team just had to open his mouth to say something.

"Can we just play the game and leave our personal feelings off the field? What was said was wrong but he was drunk out of his mind and that has nothing to do with us"

Terrance balled up his fist, "So in other words, you're taking up for the ass?"

"Gentlemen, we have a game to play." The referee tried to interfere but his words fell death on their ears.

"Listen, it's done and over with. Let's just play the damn game."

Sam squinted his eyes, trying to figure out what was taking them so long. Handing the one of the managers his headset and clipboard, he started making his way out towards the field with the defensive line coach, Chuck, as well.

"That's not something you can brush under the rug." Dylan angrily said as he pushed him hard, causing him fall to the ground. Terrance saw the other boy coming for his teammate and he got there just in time to grabbed the front of his face-mask and throw him down, causing collective gasps and cheers to run out the stadium. The game haven't even started yet and they were already fighting.

"What in the hell?" Josh asked with wide eyes as he looked at the brawl in the middle of the field, seeing all the players from both teams coming off the bench but was stopped by their coaches.

Mercedes placed her hand over her mouth as she looked on. Maybe they had a point on why they didn't need to play today. Seeing that the referees, Sam and Chuck had literally get on the ground to break them apart made her realized how serious this was.

Sam grabbed Terrance and Dylan forcefully by the back of jersey, pulling them to the side.

The referees threw their penalties flags out, the head one gesturing to the eight boys and their coaches, "They're out."

"That's not fair, they're the ones who started it."

Terrance tried to get out of Sam's hold but he had a tight grip on him.

Sam turned around and pushed them towards their side of the field, "Go." He made sure they went to the bench before turning around, pointing to the other coaches, "That was your warning." He picked up Terrance's gloves, walking away. He heard the boos when the announcer announced that four of their players were being ejected.

"I was not expecting that."

Mercedes winced before turning to Josh, giving him a guilty look, "I think I kind of provoked it."

Josh faced twitched up on confusion, "Oh..ohhh...oh damn." A smile began to twitch at the corners of his mouth when it dawned on him, shrugging, "In that case, they should beat their ass."

"Josh." Mercedes tried to be serious but she couldn't help but giggle at him, shaking her head. She turned back around and that's when she caught Sam's eye, mouthing, "I'm sorry."

Sam smirked at her before shaking his head, putting his headset back on. He walked over to BJ and gave him a smile, "You ready?"

"No."

"Too bad." Sam said as he wrapped his arm around the freshman, watching him put his helmet on, "It's just like we're in practice. You're going to be fine."

"I don't want to screw up, coach." He said quietly as he stopped and stared at the man.

Sam placed his hands on his shoulders, staring at him, "You're not and if you do, oh well. It's not the end of the world. I know you're nervous, believe me, I was in your position a lot of times. You're not out there on your own, your teammates are going to be with you the whole way. Just breathe and stay calm." He smiled when he saw one of the senior running backs, Bronx, come behind him and wrapped his arm around his shoulders.

"You got this man." Bronx reassured him, "Coach's right when he says we got your back out there."

Sam listened to what Derek was saying through his set, hearing the whistle blow, he huddle up the offense, "Play clean enough to where you don't get thrown out of the game." He watched them send him a smirk, giving a warning look before walking off. This game was going to be one for the books.

* * *

Mercedes sat on the edge of the bed, sticking her apple slice into the peanut butter and raisins. Sighing, she watched as Sam came out of the bathroom dressed for bed, "57 to 10. Not bad at all for the last game of the season, coach."

Sam smiled as he came and sat beside her on the bed, grabbing one of her apples and biting it, "That's what happens when you piss off my players. You get your ass kicked in more ways than one."

Mercedes chuckled as she leaned forward and kissed his cheek, "Well, I'm proud of all of you." She smiled as she sat back, sticking another apple in her mouth, "Especially you."

"Thank you." He said softly, watching her with a smile, "You know I love you right?"

"Of course."

"And I'm sorry for how I've been acting this week." Sam moved her hair back from out of her face, "I didn't mean to take anything out of you. I-I just don't trust Santana at all and I can't ever forgive her for what she did. She has hurt us way too many times and I don't want _you_ to get hurt again."

"I understand Sam, believe me I do. I'm not trying to make you forgive her at all. All I was asking was to just hear her out, that's all." Mercedes sighed as she picked up another apple slice, sticking it in her mouth.

Sam watched her closely, his fingers dancing on her spine. He loved his wife to death and would do anything for her..even this, "Fine. We can have the stupid dinner but don't expect me to say anything."

Mercedes gave him a small smile, she put the plate on the dresser before turning to him, "I love you."

"I love you too." He pouted as he laid down, pulling her on top of him. He placed a slow, long kiss to her lips, moving his way to her face and down her neck, mumbling, "Now let's practice on making another baby."

Mercedes laughed out loud as she kissed him back, hearing his groan when the doorbell rung only made her laugh harder, "Later, I promise."

Sam watched her get up and head out the room with a frown on his face, huffing, "Who the hell is it this time of the night?" He got up from the bed and came out of their bedroom. Walking down the stairs, he saw her standing with the door open but she wasn't talking or moving at all, "Baby, who is it?" When he got closer, he felt his jaw starting clench tightly, "What the hell are you doing here?"

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **A/N. Don't worry, there's a part two! Hope you guys enjoyed this update. :)**


	26. Unwanted Doubts

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

"I'm going to ask you again, what the hell are you doing here?" Sam asked as he balled up his fist, staring at the person in anger. He was beyond pissed for multiple reason. One being that this man had the nerve to show up at their home. Two, this is the second unwanted person who had gotten their address from someone whose name is Lexi.

"I'm not here to argue with you boy. I'm here for my daughter and granddaughter." Michael said as he glared at Sam before his eyes went back to Mercedes, "You're not going to shut me out like everyone else did."

Mercedes tighten her grip on the door, taking a deep breath as she stared at him, "I told you I wanted nothing to do with you."

"You don't mean that. Stop letting this ass get inside of your head."

"You need to stop disrespecting my husband." Mercedes spoke up angrily, feeling Sam tense up behind her, she knew she needed to get rid of him before this turned into a blood bath, "Look, you can't just show up here uninvited, disrespect my home and my husband. I'm asking you nicely to leave before I call the police."

Michael stared at her in shock before stepping back, letting out a humorless laugh, "Who are you and what have you done with my daughter? You wouldn't never turn your back on your father, oh wait, I'm lying, you have since you've been with this clown. After everything I've done for you, this is how you repay me?"

"What exactly have you done for me, huh? You have been an absentee father. Yeah, you were physically there but you were not apart of my life. You never supported me through school at all. You never came to any of my events. It was work, work and more work. That was the only thing you cared about. Sam's dad has been more of dad to me than you have ever been. I'm so grateful to have him in not only my life but my daughter's as well. The only reason you want to be in my life now is because your personal life is falling apart. So don't come at me like I'm in the wrong when I'm not."

Michael balled his fists up as he listened to what she was saying, swallowing the lump in his throat, he gave her a pointed look, "You will regret this decision you're making and when he leaves you, don't say I didn't warn you. That's the type of man he is. He's going to get tired of playing that role of husband and daddy, mark my words."

Sam moved Mercedes out the way and got into the man's face, the anger cursing through his body was clear as day by his red face and the veins visibly popping in his head and neck, "You're wrong asshole. I'm not going anywhere, ever. And as long as I'm breathing, you will never be around my wife or my baby girl. Get the fuck off my property." He stepped back inside, slamming the door in his face and locking it. Taking a deep breath, he turned and found Mercedes sitting on one of the steps of the stairs.

Mercedes ran her hands through her hair and let out a sigh, feeling tears well up in her eyes. She was so sick of people coming into her life and ruining her happiness. Not only that but people constantly telling her that Sam was going to leave her. It was bring up unwanted doubts and she hated that.

"Why are you crying Cedes?" Sam asked softly as he took a seat beside her. He tried to reach for her hand but she shook her head and stood up, leaving him dumbfounded, "Baby, what's wrong?"

"I'm just going to go to bed." She whispered as she turned around and headed up the stairs, trying her best to stop her tears but she couldn't.

Sam watched her walk up the stairs and he felt his anger coming back in full force. He wasn't mad at her, not by a long shot. But he could tell that she was slowly reverting back into her old ways of being insecure. She was good at ignoring people words and not letting it get to her but the verbal hits she's been getting for the past three weeks were taking a toll on her and Sam hated that. He loved Mercedes with all of his being. There was nothing he would do to jeopardize what they have.

* * *

Josh held the box in his arms as he walked out the elevator, speaking to some of the students as he walked down the hallway. Mercedes had texted him earlier and asked if he could pick up a package for her. As he moved closer towards the end of the hall, he saw her office door swing open and showcasing a distraught looking Lexi. He saw her raise her eyes at him before quickly looking away and moving pass him in a hurry. He turned to glance at her and saw that she had made it to the elevator. He sighed as he turned around, knocking on the door, jumping a little when he heard Mercedes yell.

"WHAT?!"

"It's me." Josh answered softly as he came in, closing the door behind him. He watched as she spun around in her chair and removed her glasses from her face, "I have your package."

"I'm sorry." Mercedes said as she rubbed her face, giving him an apologetic smile as he came and handed her the box, "Thank you."

"No problem." He replied as he took a seat, watching her closely. He could tell that she had been crying and he honestly wanted to know what was wrong. He knew about the surprise pop up her dad did last night but he didn't know exactly what was said, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Honestly, no." She said quietly as she took her pen and ran it through the tape, looking up at him with sad eyes, "I'm sorry for yelling, I'm j-just really not in the mood right now."

"It's fine, seriously but I do want you to know that you can talk to me. You're my litter sister Mer.." He stopped when he saw her face scrunch up, cursing underneath his breath at his chose of words, "Shit, I'm sorry." He stood up and walked around her desk, bending down in front of her and wrapping his arms around her, "I'm so sorry."

"N-No, don't be." She cried as she placed her head on his shoulder, feeling the tears rush down her face, "The one person I want to talk to, I can't. I haven't s-spoken to my brother in two months and I miss him so much. I just want to hear his voice, m-make sure he is okay."

"I know." Josh said as he rubbed her back soothingly, "It's going to be okay Mercedes, I promise. It may not seem like it now but it will."

Mercedes nodded as she pulled back, sniffling hard as she wiped her face, "I had to fire Lexi today because of what she's been doing. Despite me telling her about not giving our personal information out early on, she did it anyways. She said she didn't see what was so wrong with her doing it at the time and plus, she thought it was okay because Michael was my father. And on top of that, I had to deal with these damn assholes back to back to back trying to tell me that Sam is going to leave me. Dammit Josh. I know he won't, I know it but I can't help but feel like what if..you know?"

"No, I don't know." Josh said as he stared at her, "The man has put himself on the line a couple of times for you and by that, I mean physically hurting not one, not two but three people. I love you with all of my heart Cedes but I'm not going to let you sit up here and think like that. Sam loves you, you know, I know, hell the whole damn world knows that." Josh put his hands on either side of her face, lifting her head up so she could look at him, "He would be an absolute dumbass if he ever left you but that's never going to happen, sis. That's one thing I can promise you. You have a beyond good man in your life and he has a beyond good woman in his."

Mercedes sniffled as she nodded her head, listening to everything Josh was saying, whispering, "T-Thank you for always being there for me. You don't know how grateful I am."

"Always." He smiled as he leaned forward and hugged her tightly before letting go, hearing their phones go off. He picked his out of his pocket and sighed, "I have to get back to work."

"Yeah, and I have a meeting." Mercedes said as she stood up, placing her phone in her back pocket before looking at Josh, wiping her face, "Seriously, thank you for the talk. I needed it."

"Anytime." He kissed her cheek before walking and heading to the door, "I'll see you later."

"Alright." She said as she watched him walk out the door, taking a deep breath as she grabbed her keys from out her drawer and headed out as well, deep in thought.

* * *

"With football season over, the NFL combine is coming up in a few weeks and we just wanted to make sure all the seniors who are going out for it are getting the extra help they need with practices and workout sessions." Sam was sitting in the film room listening to the head coach speak to the team as he wrote out the practice schedules, "Coach Evans, Miller and Yates will be available if you guys need them."

"These schedule will be posted in the field house, weight room and one in the hallway outside of here." Sam said as he looked around the room, seeing them nod, "Any questions?"

"Yeah, I have a few." One to the seniors said with his hand raised, "You never really told us about your experience in the NFL. How was it? How did it change you? Can you give us any advice for going through this combine process? What's the real reason why you decided to leave all that money and come here?"

Dylan lifted his hat up from over his eyes and sat up, watching as Sam took a deep breath and drop his pen, "Coach doesn't owe anyone an answer to that last question."

"It's fine. They need to hear this." Sam turned in his chair to face them, leaning back, "Eyeopening, Growth, and Maturity. Those are three words to describe my experience. I was fresh out of college when I got picked. So of course I was young, excited, and slightly immature." He laughed, causing everyone else to do the same, "I'm just a few years older than you but I have learned a lot. I only ever been with Tampa, that was the team that picked me and that's were I wanted to stay. As you can see, that didn't work out. So yes, the stories were true about the bounty. That's something I don't do. I've never played dirty, never wanted to play dirty and didn't plan on playing dirty. That was big hell no. So I left but people think it's just because of that, it's not. Fame can ruin you if you let it. I know you guys knew about the suppose cheating scandal, hell the whole world did. That was the final straw for me. People are going to hate on what you have, point blank. Someone almost had the best person in my life taken away from me because of a lie." Sam sighed as he shook his head, memories of the year running through his mind, "You guys want the truth and I'm giving it to you. Yeah, I got offers to play for other teams, some pretty damn good offers but I didn't want it. Money doesn't buy happiness. It's a bonus but I wasn't in it for the money. I was in it because I loved playing football. My love for playing was deteriorating once I realize my life was under a microscope, media and people would try to mess up my relationship, and I was playing for a team who wanted to intentionally hurt other players." Sam crossed his arms while a smile took over his lips, "Mercedes and Arianna was the reason why I took this route. I wanted better for my wife and my daughter. My girls are my world and if you haven't notice by now, I would go to hell and back for them."

"Oh we know coach, trust me, we know." Terrance called out from the back knowingly, laughing a bit when ever one else did.

Sam shrugged, knowing exactly what he was hinting at, "Eyeopening, Growth and Maturity. My eyeopening experience is that not everyone wants what's best for you and they will tear you down in any way they can. My growth and maturity comes from going through so much in a short period of time and learning from it. My advice to all you, whether you make it to the league or not, never give up. Never let negatives derail you, stay true to yourself, work hard and stay humble." He looked around the quiet room as he stood up, "Did I answer all your questions?"

"Yes sir."

"Good." Sam said, turning his head when he heard quiet whimpers, "Now if you'll excuse me, my kid is waking up and she's not a happy camper when she does. I will have these posted up by the end of the day." He gestured to the schedule on the table before heading to his office. Closing the door behind him, he smiled when he found Ari sitting up on the couch, rubbing her eyes with a pout. He chuckled as he went over and picked her up, kissing her cheek. He looked down at her and watched a smile appear on her face as she leaned up and wrapped her short arms around his neck. Yep, she was definitely worth giving up any and everything for.

* * *

Mercedes crossed her legs as she sat back in the chair, tapping her fingers along the table. She sighed as she watched the time go by on her phone. She had a very long day and she wanted nothing more than to see her little munchkin. Hearing the door open, she watched Rocky get up from beside her and go see who it was. She heard Sam's voice as he closed the door, smiling a little when she listened to Ari calling for Rocky.

"Mercedes." Sam called out as he walked towards the kitchen, finding her sitting at the table, he gave her a smile.

"Momma." Arianna wiggled in her dad's arms, leaning down as she reached out for the woman.

Mercedes smiled as she grabbed her, kissing her cheek as she giggled and laid out in her arms. Mercedes lifted her head up and watched Sam sit down in the chair beside her.

"What's this?" He asked curiously as took in the box on the table, looking back at her.

"An I'm sorry present." She bit down on her bottom lip as she watched him moved the paper around, seeing his eyes light up, "Weird thing was, I didn't even know that it was possible to have freaking donuts ordered, shipped out in a couple of hours and still manage to remain fresh and eatable."

Sam chuckled as he picked up the medium sized box, staring at the dozen of donuts in the package. It was only one place that he loved that she knew about but it was all the way in San Francisco, "You didn't have to do this." He said all while opening the box, staring at the twelve different flavors he loved so much.

"I wanted too." Mercedes replied with a small smile, looking down at their daughter who was staring back at her. She took finger and bopped her nose, "I really owe you an apology. I'm sorry that I ever doubted that you would do anything to hurt me. I love you so much and I know you love me. I turned back into the insecure little girl I was in high school and I hate that."

"I hate it too, so much." Sam said softly as he looked at her, reaching over to grab her hand, "Not going to lie, it hurt me. It hurt a lot knowing that you got to that point again where you thought I didn't love you enough and believing that I would ever leave you." He swiped his thumb underneath her eye when he saw the tear falling, "I love you, okay? And I swear on everything I love, I swear I won't ever leave you.."

"I love you too." She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his lips, only pulling back when she felt Ari sit up in her lap.

"I luv yew." The toddler smiled brightly as she looked between her parents, causing them to chuckle when her eyes went wide at the donuts, "Daddie, one.

"Did you eat real food first?" Sam asked the little girl, watching her facial expression turn into a confused one, "Ask mommy."

Arianna turned to her mom and gave her a kiss before pulling back with a smile and pointing to the delicious sweets.

"Just a small piece before dinner." Mercedes said pointedly to her husband, seeing him give her an innocent grin as he broke off a piece of the cinnamon donut and handed it to their daughter.

Sam watched with a smile as Ari placed the donut in her mouth before his eyes went back to Mercedes, "Because of all this BS going on, I'm getting temporary restraining order against your dad."

Mercedes nodded her head and sighed, "I'm not in the wrong for what I said to him am I?"

"H-e-l-l no, you're not. You don't owe him s-h-i-t. You stood up for yourself, our daughter and us. He's not going to pop up in your life and try to ruin it again, not on my watch. So no, you did absolutely nothing wrong."

Mercedes stared at him for a moment before a smile tugged at her lips, "I know I say this all the time but I really mean it. Thank you for being the man you are."

"Wouldn't be it if it wasn't for the man who raised me." He said honestly as he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her lips before standing up, "Now, let's stop talking about all this. I'll make dinner and we can have movie night. Oh, and this weekend, we're pulling all the Christmas decorations out the basement. It's time to get into the Christmas spirit."

Mercedes laughed at his excitement, watching Ari clap her hands as she slid from her lap and ran over to her dad. Her little family was all that mattered to her and she'll be damn if she let anyone come and disrupt that.

* * *

 **A/N. I haven't forgotten about the get together with Santana. That's in the next chapter & we're going to get even more surprise guests. I know the interaction with Michael was short & honestly, I wanted him in and out for a reason. But is that the last time we'll see him? Lexi, girl..smh. Josh is the friend that everyone need. The one who loves you, is there for you, but won't sugarcoat shit (that's me). Samcedes will always be alright, they overcome everything! Have a great weekend everyone. :) **


	27. Set Me Free

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE MENTION.**

 **Sidney James-Jaz Sinclair**

 **Bird Set Free-Sia**

* * *

Sam shut the light off in Ari's room, leaving the door open as he glanced at the sleeping toddler once more before walking out. Heading across the hall to their bedroom, he walked in and found Mercedes sitting up with her laptop in her lap, a cup of tea in her hand and her glasses falling off the bridge of her nose, "What are you up to?"

Mercedes pushed her glasses up on her nose and looked at him, giving him a smile when he came and got in the bed. Sitting her cup on the night stand, she turned to him, "I've been meaning to tell you, I have a second job."

"What?" Sam asked confusedly as he stared at her, seeing her smile was contagious, "What is it?"

"I write for Parents Magazine's baby blog." She said with a bright smile as she handed him the laptop, "Basically what I do are little articles on what it's like to raising a child. It ranges from talking about daily routines, baby food, advice to new parents, oh and my personally favorite that I'm uploading my first one tonight, vlogs."

"Video blogs?" Sam asked as he glanced at her, seeing her nod, he smiled as he turned back to the screen. He looked at the website and it screamed Mercedes. It was so organized. He saw her profile picture was of them and Ari from this last month at Disneyland. He clicked on a few articles that she had written and read through them in a span of ten minutes. They were literally Mercedes. Funny, honest and informative. He saw the vlog she had posted and clicked on it, chuckling when the first thing he saw was Ari's face in the camera.

 _"Say hey baby girl. Arianna." Mercedes giggled as she watched the little girl move back in front of the camera. Picking her up and sitting her in her lap, Mercedes smiled at the camera, "Hey everyone, this is going to be a quick video. I'm so excited to announce that I'm going to start doing a weekly vlog. Yay."_

 _"Yay." Ari squealed as she clapped her hands, looking up at her mommy as she spoke._

 _"As you can tell, we're both super excited for you guys to get to know us a little better and just see what we do throughout the week. And we're so stoke to get some appearances from daddy, what do you think Ari?"_

 _"Daddy." Ari said with a smile as she leaned forward and pointed to Sam in the picture on the laptop._

 _Mercedes smiled as she looked back at the camera, "I'm so glad you are enjoying my blog so far. I'm having such a fun time sharing and learning from you guys. Oh and by the way, we hit a new record with over fifty thousand readers a day. Holy Froot Loops. That's a lot and I can't tell you enough how grateful I am for you guys. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. Be on a lookout for the most anticipated article I have written on Friday. You have been asking for it and now you're going to receive it. Have a great week!"_

"Holy Froot Loops? That saying alone is gold. I'm going to start using that." Sam laughed as he turned to look at her, leaning forward to press a kiss to her lips, "This is so incredible babe, congratulations. I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you love." Mercedes said with a smile before chewing on her bottom lip, "I didn't think I would enjoy it as much but it's amazing. Just being able to talk about motherhood and read other women and men experiences, it's pretty cool."

"It sounds like it. Your blog is pretty damn amazing. These articles you wrote are so real, interesting, hilarious and informative." Sam praised as he went back to scrolling down the site again, "I think you should look into writing a book."

Mercedes placed her glasses on top of her head and stared at him, "Seriously?"

"Yeah, I mean if you want to but I think it would be great. It doesn't have to be done like right now but you know, in the future if you decide to do it." Sam smiled as he tapped her nose, whispering, "But I think you should."

"Definitely will consider it." Mercedes replied with a grin as she kissed him lightly, hearing him groan when her phone ding, she chuckled lightly as she pulled back, "Relax, it's just a reminder for dinner tomorrow night."

Sam rolled his eyes as he laid back on the bed, "I was hoping that was a thing of the past."

"You can always not go babe, no one is making you." Mercedes said as she grabbed her laptop from his lap, logging out before closing it down. She heard heard him sigh, causing her to look at him, seeing him open his mouth, she decided to speak so she could change the subject, "Are you going to sing Saturday?"

Sam eyebrows twitched up in confusion before it dawned on him what she was talking about. A smile coming to his lips, shaking his head, "No, I'm actually not."

"Oh come on, it's for a good cause." Mercedes giggled as she pinched his cheeks, "I haven't heard you sing in a long time."

"I'm on vocal rest." He smirked when he saw the disbelieving look on her face, snorting, "I'm serious. I've been yelling all season and it's time to give my voice a break."

Mercedes rolled her eyes and let out a chuckle, hitting his shoulder, "I can't deal with you, I really can't."

Sam smiled at her before leaning up and kissing her, "What are going to sing?"

"It's a surprise and no, it's not a Christmas song." She said as she took her glasses off her head and placed them on the stand, smiling to herself when he grunted, "You're going to like it."

"Of course I am. You could sing me the alphabets and I'm going to love it." He said as he threw his arm across her waist and snuggled into her side, pressing a kiss to her neck before closing his eyes, "I love you."

"I love you more." Mercedes said as she ran her hand through his hair, closing her eyes as well. They had a lot going on this week and hopefully everything goes smoothly.

* * *

 _"God doesn't give you the people you want, he gives you the people you need. To help you, to hurt you, to leave you, to love you and to make you the person you were meant to be."_

Santana sighed for the tenth time as she looked at her phone, seeing it was past seven. They were late and she was starting to wonder if they were even going to show up. She picked up her wine glass and took a sip, feeling a hand graze her bouncing knee, she turned to the side and gave the woman a weak smile.

"Relax." Sidney said as she looked at her fiancée, giving her a comforting squeeze. She knew she was going to need some support through this so she flew in yesterday to be there for her woman.

"I'm sorry, I'm just so nervous." She said as she looked down at her glass, "They hate me with reason and me trying to fix it is only making it worse."

"Babe, just relax. You say you had a nice lunch with Mercedes, right?" Sidney asked, watching her nod, she smiled as she leaned over and gave her a hug, "I'm sure Sam will at least hear you out."

"You don't know Sam." Santana whispered to her as she pulled back, seeing them coming in the door, her heart began to pound erratically, "They're here."

Mercedes tugged at her dress as she turned to Sam, pressing a kiss to his lips before stepping back, "You okay?"

Sam nodded as he stared down at her, sticking his hands into his pockets. He had decided against better judgement to come and humor whatever the hell this was. He looked up when the hostess told them to follow her and he took a deep breath.

Mercedes grabbed his hand and walked by his side, following the girl as she took them to the table. She had spotted Santana and the familiar face in the back when she first came in. As they got closer, she felt Sam tense up and she gave him a comforting squeeze.

Sidney stood from her seat with a smile when she saw them, deciding to break the tension as she extended her hand out, "Hi, I'm Sidney, Santana's fiancée."

Mercedes let go of Sam's hand to shake hers, giving her a small smile, "I'm Mercedes, and this is my husband Sam."

"I actually know Sam. I was Tampa's head physical therapist for two months." Sidney said as she looked at the man, giving him a nod, "It's a small world."

"You can say that again." Sam replied as he looked at the women before his eyes went over to Santana for a brief second as he took his seat.

Santana gulped quietly as she sat back in her seat, seeing the waiter come back and get their drink orders. Her eyes went to Mercedes and she gave her a small smile, "You look lovely tonight, Mercedes."

"You really do. You're even more beautiful in person, now I understand what the big fuss was about." Sidney said loosely, catching everyone off guard. She knew that it was the elephant in the room and what better way to bring it up instead of having this intense atmosphere.

Sam was not amused by the woman's antics at all. He didn't know if she knew how messed up the situation really was or the simple fact that she didn't even care. He thanked the waiter when he brought him his drink, picking the glass up and downing it quickly. He needed this liquor courage if he was going to get through tonight.

"Well, thank you. You two do as well." She said with a strained smile, grabbing ahold of Sam's hand underneath the table. This was not starting off right and she only hoped that she didn't make a mistake by agreeing to come. Thankfully, they had made it through their meal. It was mostly just the girls talking while Sam sat back and listened. He didn't think he was at all rude though. He did talk when he was addressed but for the most part, he was quiet.

Santana twirled her engagement ring on finger, half listening to the conversation Sidney was having with Mercedes. She looked up at Sam and sighed, deciding to suck it up and strike a conversation with him, "So Sam, do you like coaching better than playing?"

Sam swallowed the crouton that he had in his mouth and looked at her, nodding his head as he picked up his glass, "I do. Better atmosphere to be around, kids are great, and the schedules are even better because I get to see family more during the season."

"Speaking of family, do you have a recent picture of your daughter? I would love to see her." Sidney asked the couple, seeing Mercedes nod and hand her phone to her. She gasped when she saw the picture of the three on the lock screen, "Oh my god, she's gorgeous. She's a perfect mixture of you both."

Santana looked at the phone and smiled. This was actually her first time seeing the little girl, "She is."

"Thank you. She's pretty amazing." Mercedes said with a smile as she thought about Ari, grabbing the phone back from Sidney when she handed it to her.

"I'm really happy for you guys, seriously." Santana spoke as she moved her hair behind her ears, glancing over at Sam, "I know you won't ever forgive me, I've accepted that. But I want you to know that I'm really sorry for all horrible things I did to you all. I was so stupid and because of my stupidity, I lost two best friends."

Sidney saw that she was choking up and she wrapped her arm around her shoulders. She knew all about what happen between the three and she was truly heartbroken for her fiancée because she knew the outcome of this. She messed up horribly and she was going to have to live with the consequences.

Mercedes bit the inside of her cheek as she turned to look at Sam, noticing the blank expression on his face, she didn't know what to expect from him after all the shit that had been happening for the past few weeks.

"I'm going to be honest with you. I had no intentions on coming tonight but I did. I thought about every way I was going lash out but I'm not." Sam shrugged as he sat up, downing the rest of his drink before sitting the glass back on the table, "I forgive you because carrying hate around will do no good. You tried to ruin my life, not once but twice. I'm not going to sit here and act like what you did doesn't still bother me because it does. But I'm done with it because you know why? I won at the end of the day. You and the rest of the assholes who tried, didn't succeed at breaking us apart." He stood up from the table, placing his napkin on the empty plate and dropping some cash down to cover dinner, "I have no problem with you and Mercedes getting back on good terms. I appreciate your apology but your friendship is something I don't want again. I sincerely wish you both well and congrats on the engagement. I'll be waiting in the truck, baby."

Mercedes puffed out her cheeks as she stood up, "Um, well..thank you for the invite, dinner was great but I think it's time for us to get home."

"Yeah." Santana whispered as she stood up, giving her old friend a teary smile as she gave her a hug, "It was nice getting to talk to you again Mercedes."

Mercedes patted her back before letting go, quirking up a small smile before nodding, "Same here." She held out her hand for Sidney, "It was nice meeting you."

"You too, Mercedes." Sidney said with a smile as she shook her head, "Hopefully you can come to our wedding."

"Yeah, hopefully. Have a good night ladies." Mercedes said as she turned on heels and walked out the restaurant, opening the door, she pulled her sweater over her as the cool LA breeze hit her face. She stepped down the steps carefully and headed to the truck, where she found him leaning against it. She reached into her purse and pulled out the keys, "You forgot to get them."

"Yeah, I kind of realized that when I stormed out." He let out a quiet chuckle as he pushed off the truck and went to her, grabbing the keys, "You want to go get some ice cream?"

"I thought you'd never ask." Mercedes smiled as she leaned forward and kissed him, patting his cheek as she stepped aside, thanking him when he opened the door and helped her inside. They didn't need to talk about what just happen. The past was the past and it was nothing they could do about it. It was just time to move forward and continue to live their lives.

* * *

Mercedes held Quinn's four year old daughter, Bethany on her hip as they stood up by the cotton candy machine. She was so excited that Quinn and the girls were finally settled in. Quinn had got the job at the bridal company she was interested in and started working right after the holidays. She even got the girls enrolled in pre-k and second grade at the elementary that was a few minutes away from the house.

"Auntie CeCe, I want blue please." Bethany said as her bright blue eyes stared at the older woman, playing with one of her pigtails.

Mercedes smiled as she kissed her cheek, fixing the beanie on her head, "Okay, sweetie."

She turned to the side and chuckled when she saw Josh and Ari jumping in the bounce house. Today, they were volunteering and fundraising at a carnival for one of the children shelters they worked with.

Sam moved his pencil away from his paper, stealing a glance at the young girl beside him. Him and Bailey had stopped at the arts and crafts table on their way in and decided to draw.

"Stop Uncle Sammy." Bailey said as she turned her paper away from him, sending the older man a glare.

Sam chuckled as he put his pencil down, looking down at the sketch he just drew of Ari, "Can I pretty please see?"

"Fine, since you asked so nicely." She said after a moment of thinking, putting down the crayon as she got up from the seat. She grabbed her paper and showed it to her uncle with a smile.

Sam looked down at the picture and couldn't help but smile. She had drew a Christmas themed picture with a huge Christmas tree, fireplace and lots of presents, "This is really good, kiddo. I think you're going to be an artist like me."

Bailey giggled as she moved her hair behind her ear, running her fingers along the picture, "Can I ask you something Uncle Sammy?"

"Of course."

Bailey sighed deeply as tears welled up in eyes, looking up at him, whispering, "Why does my dad not love us anymore?"

"Shit." Sam mumbled as he stared at her. _Damn, damn, damn_. How the hell was he going to explain this to her? He wasn't going to lie but it was going to be difficult to tell her the truth. He put the paper down and turned in his seat, leaning forward the wipe her tears away, "B-Bailey, umm." _Shit Sam, talk._ He chastised himself in his head, opening up his mouth but thankfully Mercedes came in time.

"Bailey, sweetie." Mercedes said as she sat Bethany down to her feet. She bent down to look at the little girl, wiping the rest of the tears away, "You're dad is being an idiot right now, much like mines. People like that, don't deserve to be in a princess's life. Remember what I always tell you about mean people?"

Bailey nodded as she sniffled, "No one should have room for mean people in their lives."

"Exactly. I know it hurts baby girl, trust me, I know but you won't hurt for long. As you get older, you will understand this situation a lot more. Right now, you have people that love you, Bethany and your mom very much. You are loved, never forget that, my love."

Bailey leaned over and hugged her tightly, "I love you, Aunt Cedes."

"I love you too." Mercedes replied as she gave her a tight squeeze, smiling as she kissed her cheek before standing up, "Now, dry those tears and let's have some fun. I believe those bounce houses are calling our names."

Sam watched as both of the girls eyes lit up, seeing Bailey grab her little sister's hand to lead her to the play area. He turned and looked at his wife in shocked, "How were you able to flip that into something positive?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I do know it's better to tell them the truth though. I hate when parents lie to their kids because it's gives them false hope." Mercedes went over and sat beside him, picking up a sketch book, "Quinn told me she didn't know exactly how she was going to explain to them because she didn't want to lie."

"Well, you save her from that." He said as he looked at her, shaking his head, "It's really messed up that they're going through this. That prick is legit the biggest asshole I know. Can't believe I once consider him as a friend."

"Tell me about it." Mercedes turned around in her seat to look at him, taking in his face for a second.

"What?" Sam asked as he watched her scan his face, seeing a smile starting to spread across her lips, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Mercedes snorted as she rubbed her hand against his face, "It's random as hell, but I just realized that you shave. No wonder when I kissed you this morning it felt weird."

"You are so dorky." Sam laughed as he pressed a kiss to her lips, whining when he heard the people calling for Mercedes, letting her know it was time to get ready.

"We'll pick this up later." She mumbled across his lips before getting out of seat and headed towards the back.

Sam leaned against the table with a frown but that soon faded when he saw his little girl running to him. Smiling, he bent down and picked her up, "What are you up to, Cookie Monster?"

"Jump." She exclaimed excitedly, giggling as she pointed towards the bounce house, her big brown eyes going back to her dad.

"You want your old man to go jump and most likely break a hip?" He laughed loudly when she nodded, shaking his head as he stood up. She was so damn adorable.

Josh was laid back in the corner, trying to catch his breath. He didn't realize kids had energy that allowed them to jump for hours. He was past worn out. He looked up when he saw the familiar blonde coming in, "Sam, escape while you can. They have unlimited energy and don't seem to be slowing down."

Sam chuckled as Ari let go of his hand and began jumping her way over to where Austin, Bailey, Bethany and the other kids were, "Welcome to a part of having kids, you'll be here one day." He made his way over to where he was and jumped, causing the man's body to bounce a bit in the air.

Quinn was walking beside Mike, eating a funnel cake when she spotted them in the house, a chuckle escaping her lips, "They're going to wear them out."

"Yes they are." Mike winced when he heard the kids yelling, watching as they ran and jumped on top of Josh and Sam, "Oh yeah, they're going to to be tired."

Quinn giggled as she looked at them, hearing the announcer come on the mic, she walked over, "Alright, Chang-Evans-Fabray-Hendrix squad come on. Aunt Cedes is about to sing." She watched as the kids squealed with joy as they made their way out, Bailey helping the younger girls come down and put their shoes on.

"Shit, I think someone stepped on my face."

Josh looked over at his best friend, snorting loudly when he saw his ruffled hair and the very obvious red footprint on his face, "Dude, there's not doubt about it, one of them did."

Sam chuckled as he stood up, holding out his hand for him to take, "Kids man, you gotta love them, even if they're bad as hell."

Josh nodded as he got up, taking a deep breath as they headed for the exit, "Oh yeah."

Sam smiled as he grabbed his shoes, putting them back on. Him and Josh caught up with the group as the made their way to the stage, spotting Mercedes. He grabbed Ari and placed her on his neck, laughing when she immediately starting to play in his hair.

Mercedes fixed the earpiece in her ear as she leaned forward to the mic, "Is everyone having a good time?" She smiled brightly when they cheered loudly, "That's wonderful. My name is Mercedes and I'm so glad that everyone is having fun and super grateful that you all took time out of your Saturday to come to this wonderful event. I just want to say that I am very honored to work with Granted Smiles. This organization helps local children shelters and it has been so close to my heart every since I've moved here. All the proceeds from today goes to the shelters. With it just being fours hours in, we have already raised a total amount of twenty-two thousands dollars." She clapped her hands along with her everyone else, "If you want to learn more about our organization or even just want to get involved, there are tables set up throughout the walkways. I'm going to stop talking now and sing you a little song. Thank you again for coming and I hope you continue to have a fun time." She smiled as she turned to the band, giving them a nod as they began to play the intro.

 _Clipped wings, I was a broken thing  
Had a voice, had a voice but I could not sing  
You would wind me down  
I struggled on the ground  
So lost, the line had been crossed  
Had a voice, had a voice but I could not talk  
You held me down  
I struggle to fly now_

 _But there's a scream inside that we all try to hide  
We hold on so tight, we cannot deny  
Eats us alive, oh it eats us alive  
Yes, there's a scream inside that we all try to hide  
We hold on so tight, but I don't wanna die, no  
I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die_

 _And I don't care if I sing off key  
I find myself in my melodies  
I sing for love, I sing for me  
I shout it out like a bird set free  
No I don't care if I sing off key  
I find myself in my melodies  
I sing for love, I sing for me  
I'll shout it out like a bird set free  
I'll shout it out like a bird set free  
I'll shout it out like a bird set free_

 _Now I fly, hit the high notes  
I have a voice, have a voice, hear me roar tonight  
You held me down  
But I fought back loud_

Mercedes held her arms out as she sung the next couple of verses, then bringing her hands over to her heart. Watching as everyone got into the song by clapping on beat and swaying. This song meant a lot to her at the moment and she was so happy to be singing it.

 _But there's a scream inside that we all try to hide  
We hold on so tight, we cannot deny  
Eats us alive, oh it eats us alive  
Yes, there's a scream inside that we all try to hide  
We hold on so tight, but I don't wanna die, no  
I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die_

 _And I don't care if I sing off key  
I find myself in my melodies  
I sing for love, I sing for me  
I shout it out like a bird set free  
No I don't care if I sing off key  
I find myself in my melodies  
I sing for love, I sing for me  
I'll shout it out like a bird set free  
I'll shout it out like a bird set free  
I'll shout it out like a bird set free  
I'll shout it out like a bird set free  
I'll shout it out like a bird set free  
I'll shout it out like a bird set free_


	28. Deck The Halls With Love

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE MENTION.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

Josh walked down the stairs when he heard noise coming from the kitchen, looking at the clock and seeing it was after eight. He had spent the weekend at Sam and Mercedes' home to help Sam finish decorating the house up for Christmas. Mercedes and Quinn had took a trip with Tina to San Diego for the weekend and they had kept all the kids. He turned down the hallway and stopped short when he saw Sam laying out on the counter, "Bro, what the hell?" He chuckled as he moved closer, seeing the man fast asleep with a tube of red icing in his hand. He leaned over and shook him, causing the man to jump awake, "Dude, have you been here all night?" Josh asked as he looked around the kitchen and could tell that he really did spend the whole night and possibly early morning baking. It was cookies everywhere.

"Kids. Cookies. Christmas." Sam mumbled barely coherently as he laid back down on the counter, closing his eyes.

"Sam." He stood in front of him, hearing him snoring, he shook his head as he heard the oven go off. He grabbed the mitten and put it on his hand, walking over to get the cookies out just as he heard the front door open.

"It sure is quiet in here." Quinn commented as she walked behind Mercedes, sitting her suitcase by the stairwells.

"It really is and it smells like cookies." Mercedes locked the door and put the keys on the table in the foyer, "Sam, Josh." She called out, following behind Quinn, she ran into the woman when she stopped abruptly.

Quinn stared at the kitchen in shock, eyes wandering over to a sleeping Sam on the counter, "What in the world?"

Mercedes stepped from behind Quinn, eyes going wide as a gasp escaped her lips, "What have you two been doing?"

"I found your husband asleep when I came down. He has been baking all night." Josh said as he sat the tray down on the mats, turning back to the women with a smile, "The kids are still sleeping if you're wondering. How was the trip?"

"It was real good." Quinn stared at Sam for a moment before sitting down on the barstool, giggling, "I guess they wore him out."

"Did they?" Josh chuckled as he took the mitten off his hand and leaned against the counter, "He's definitely a push over when it comes to those little girls. The word no is not in his dictionary."

Mercedes smiled as she went over to her husband, moving his hair from out of his face as she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek, shaking him a little, "Baby, wake up." Hearing him groan, she chuckled as she starting to pull at him, "Come on my love, get up so you can go lay on something more comfortable."

Sam grunted as he sat up, tiredly opening his eyes as he stared down at her. He was so exhausted, he couldn't even open up his mouth to form words. Instead, he just slid down with help and leaned against her as she walked him over to the couch.

Quinn leaned forward and picked up one of the oatmeal raisin cookies and bit down into, nodding at the taste, "So, what exactly did you five do while we were gone?"

"Colored Christmas pictures, watched a lot of Christmas movies, finished decorating the house.."

"Which looks amazing by the way." Mercedes called out as she placed the blanket over Sam, making her way back into the kitchen and grabbing one of the peanut butter cookies from the pan, "Are you going to spend Christmas with us or are you going home?"

"I'm going to spend Christmas with y'all, Mercedes." Josh chuckled as he tapped her nose, seeing the excitement in her eyes. Since he had saw his family at Thanksgiving, he decided to stay here for Christmas. That and the fact that he wanted to be here for his friend because he knew she was going to be having a hard time with the fact that her brother was not here.

"Yay." Mercedes wrapped him into a big hug, squeezing him tightly with a giggle before letting go, biting into her cookie.

"Oh and we did you a video for your daily vlog." Josh snorted as he walked over to the living room to get the camera, handing it over to Mercedes when he came back, "It's some very adorable content on there." He watched Mercedes smile as she turned it on. He reached for a cookie without looking and immediately pulled his hand back when it hit Quinn's, "Sorry."

"It's okay." She gave him a sweet smile before looking away.

Mercedes looked up from the camera and stared at the two, eyebrows twitching up before her eyes went to the video.

Josh cleared his throat after a few minutes and turned back to Mercedes, "What do you think?"

"Very cute." Mercedes smiled as she raised her eyes at him, "I like how you two went ahead and edited it as well." She handed the camera off the Quinn so she could watch it, making her way over to the pantry, "I'm going to get some plastic containers for all these cookies."

"You're going to take them to the shelter, right?" Josh asked, seeing Mercedes nod, he smiled as he picked a chocolate chip up, hearing small gasps coming from the hallway.

Quinn turned to the side and saw that it was the girls, laughing out loud when she saw how giddy their faces were.

Mercedes saw Bailee, Bethany and Ari coming in with smiles on their faces, "Hey babies."

"Mommy." Ari ran to her, holding out her arms so she could pick her up.

Mercedes smiled as she picked the little girl up, kissing her cheek, "I miss you, my little Cookie Monster."

Ari smiled brightly as she hugged her around her neck tightly, eyes scanning the kitchen counters, "Cookie."

"Can we get one?" Bailee asked as she reached for the plate, only stopping when her mom shook her head.

"You have to eat food first."

"I can make breakfast sandwiches." Josh volunteered as he looked at them, shrugging, "It's the only thing I can't mess up."

Mercedes snorted as she sat Ari down to her feet, "That is true."

Josh just smiled before turning to look at Bailee, "Do you want one?"

Bailee stared at him blankly before walking away, catching everyone off guard.

Quinn was taken aback by the attitude of her daughter, sliding off the stool, "Bailee Lee, get back in here."

Mercedes watched on in confusion before turning to Josh, "What was that about?"

"I don't know." Josh said quietly as he headed to the refrigerator.

Mercedes grabbed two chocolate chip cookies and handed them to Bethany and Ari, bending down, "Can you go into the living room for me?" She smiled when Bethany nodded, watching as the little girl grab Ari's hand and led her away. Mercedes stood back up and walked back over to Josh, wrapping her arm around his shoulders as she leaned in and whispered, "When did you start have feelings for Quinn?"

"W-What are you talking about, Mercedes?" He stuttered out, turning to look at her, he sighed when she gave him a knowing look, "I don't know and I honest to God feel terrible about?"

"Why?"

"She just got divorced from that ass and she has two kids." He stopped as he put his head down, "I can't act on these feelings because not only could she not like me, me feeling this way is just wrong."

"You're human, Josh." Mercedes grabbed him by the chin so that he could look at her, smiling a bit, "Nothing is wrong with how you feel. You're allowed to feel that way and Quinn is definitely allowed after the shit she's been through. But I will tell you this, if you pursue this and she likes you back, which I think she does, give this some time. Right now, she's not ready for a relationship but that doesn't mean she will not ever be. She's focus on her babies and you as her friend have to respect that. Just being a friend right now is a great start, okay?"

Josh nodded as he stared at her, mustering up a weak smile, "Thank you, Mercedes. God, I swear you, Ari and Sam are the only consistent in my life."

"Ditto, honestly." Mercedes smiled as she leaned up and gave him another hug, "I love you so much, never forget that okay?"

"Ditto." He repeated, earning a chuckle from her before letting go, seeing Quinn and Bailee come back in, he sighed.

Quinn looked down at her daughter with a small frown on her lips, crossing her arms and raising a brow expectantly.

Bailee sighed as she glanced over in Josh's direction, mumbling, "Sorry."

"It's okay. You want to tell me what you want on your sandwich?" Josh watched her nod and make her way over to him.

Mercedes turned her head when she heard giggles coming from the other room, walking over, she chuckled lightly when she saw that her daughter had climbed her way up to her husband and laid on top of him. She was kind of shocked that he didn't wake up yet.

* * *

Quinn peeped into the room, finding her girls asleep, she smiled as she stepped back out and gripped the sketchbook in her hands as she walked down the stairs. The last couple of months had sent her in a tailspin but she couldn't honestly say, she couldn't wait for the new. A fresh start, clear mind and new beginnings was what she was looking forward to. She headed to the living room and took a seat on the couch, opening up her book. She decided to get started on some gown sketches for a client. Even though she didn't officially start until January, her boss had given her the task of drawing out a dream dress for one of her clients.

Josh was heading out when he notice the familiar blonde on the couch. The talk that he had with Mercedes a few days ago was running in his head. She was right. Quinn needed friends right now. She was going through a real bad rough patch and she needed them, "Hey."

Quinn turned her head to the door and smiled when she saw Josh, "Hey, where are you off to this late?"

"I have to go get presents." He said with a smile as he walked in, sticking his hands into his pockets, "Unlike y'all, I wait till the last minute. Thank God the stores extended their hours." He watched her giggle as she shook her head, eyes moving back to her sketchbook, "Why are you up?" He asked curiously as he took a seat on the couch next to the one she was sitting in.

"I'm sketching a dress for a bride. She wants elegant with a lot of shine and jewels."

"Just by the sounds of that, she seems like a Bridezilla." He laughed, causing her to the same. His eyebrows knitted as he watched her neatly sketch the outline, "You're really good. Why didn't you make Mercedes' dress for her?"

"Thank you and because, she refused." She looked up, snorting at the shocked look on his face, "I wanted to do it for free but she was going to pay for it. She said she wasn't going to let me spend all my money for everything I needed and then turn around and just give it to her for free."

Josh just shook his head as he leaned back on the couch, "I swear that woman is too good for this world."

"She is." Quinn smiled before sitting her things down and turning to him, "Can I ask you something personal?"

"Go ahead."

"Do you ever feel like you're a burden to Sam and Mercedes? Like, they have these big hearts and would to anything for us. Prime example, them letting me and my girls live her until I'm able to get on my feet."

"All the time, that's part of why I moved out." He said sadly as he let out a sigh, "Even though they said it was okay, it was apart of me that couldn't intrude on them any longer."

"That's how I feel." She sighed as she ran her hands through her hair, chuckling a bit, "I never pictured my life to be how it is right now. Divorce, single mom and living in my best friend's house."

"If it means anything, I think you're doing a great job with the girls." Josh spoke quietly, watching as she looked his way, "It's not the ideal situation but you're doing what you need to do for your daughters."

Quinn stared at him for a minute before cracking a smile, "Thank you for that, seriously. You don't know how much it means to hear that from someone else."

"That's what friends are for right? To be there when you are down." He said with a smile, trying to take his eyes off of hers but he couldn't. Thankfully, his phone broke them out of their gaze because he was going to do something really stupid if it didn't. Picking it out of his pocket, he stood up once he saw who it was, "It's my mom. I'm going to head out. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Be careful out there." Quinn said, watching him nod before walking out. She smiled to herself as she went back to her work. One thing she has always liked about Josh was that he knew exactly what to say.

* * *

"Alright little ladies and gent, lets go in here and get something to eat." Mercedes said as she opened the door, smiling when theywent in. Today she decided to take the kids out for a little fun day. She took them to this new indoor trampoline place that opened up down the street for a few hours and now they were about to get something to eat.

"Can we sit by the window?" Austin asked as he looked up at his aunt with a smile.

"Sure bud." Mercedes smiled before looking at the hostess, opening up her mouth but she beat her to it.

"Don't worry, I've got you." She said with a smile before grabbing Mercedes a menu and four kid menus, leading the way.

Mercedes giggled as she pulled her bag from around her, watching as the four small bodies bounced behind the girl. She especially laughed at her little girl who was keeping up with the older kids.

Bailee waited until Bethany and Austin slid into the circular booth before picking up Ari and helping her up. Once the little girl slid down, she got in as well.

Mercedes took a seat beside Bailee, sending the hostess a thanks before she opened her menu, "What do you guys want to eat?"

"Chicken Strips!"

Mercedes giggled when they all said the same thing, "I should've known." She smiled before looking over at her daughter, "How about you little mama?"

Ari leaned on the table with a smile on her face, trying to repeat the words that they said, "Ticken tips."

Bailee giggled at her little cousin, turning to her aunt, "We love chicken."

"I'm surprise you four haven't turned into one yet."

Bethany gasped as her eyes went wide, "We can turn into chicken?"

Mercedes was about to answer before their waitress came up introducing herself and asking for their drink orders.

"Apple juice please." Austin and Bethany said at the same time, turning to each other with a big smile.

Bailee looked up from her menu, "Sprite."

The girl smiled as she wrote, her eyes moving to Arianna, "How about you, cutie?"

Ari looked at the girl confusedly before looking over to her mom.

"Ap-ple ju-ice." She sounded out for the little girl, watching her mouth began to work.

"Apel-uoosh."

"Good job baby." Mercedes chuckled when she clapped her hands, causing the waitress to smile, "We're going to go ahead and order as well."

"Yes ma'am."

"We would like the twenty piece chicken strip platter with fries and orange slices. I'll take a strawberry lemonade and the seafood pasta." Mercedes said as she closed the menu and handed it back to the waitress with a smile.

"Aunt Cedes, what do you want for Christmas?" Austin asked as he swung his legs underneath the table.

"Happiness." Mercedes smiled as she leaned back, "I want everyone to be happy."

"But what do you really want?" Bethany asked innocently, watching as another waitress came back with their drinks.

"That's what I really want sweetie." She chuckled as she heard the little girl sigh. She watched as Ari climbed to sit in Beth's lap, watching as the three engaged in a conversation. She turned to the side and looked at Bailee, who had a sad look on her face as she picked up a crayon, "What's wrong sweetie?"

Bailee looked up at Mercedes and shook her head, "Nothing."

"It's something. You look super sad and I don't want you to be. You know you can talk to me, right?"

Bailee nodded as she put her head down, feeling tears fill up in her eyes, "Aunt Cedes, I just miss my dad, that's all. I haven't seen him in a long time and I miss him. I know I'm just seven and don't really know what happened but I just know it hurts that he doesn't love me anymore."

Mercedes listened to the seven year old and she was honestly breaking her heart. She looked over at the other three and saw that they were still in their own little world before turning to her niece, picking up her napkin, she turned her face to her and wiped her eyes, "I know you're hurting and I wish there was something I could do to take the pain away. But one thing I do know Bailee Lee Fabray, you're going to get through this. With the love from all of us, you're going to be okay sweet girl. You are so smart, beautiful and funny, anyone would be a complete idiot to not want to be in your life." She wrapped her arms around her when she leaned over and hugged her, laying her head on top of hers when the little girl placed her head on her chest. It truly crushed her that she was feeling this way.

Bethany turned and saw Bailee in Mercedes' lap, seeing tears on her cheeks, she began to worry, "Bee, are you otay?"

Bailee sniffles as she nodded her head, "I'm okay Beth."

"Yes she is." Mercedes said as she moved her hair back, pressing a kiss to her forehead, "She's going to be just fine."

Ari climbed out of Beth's lap and walked along the cushions to the other side, wrapping her arms around Bailee, causing the older girl to smile.

Mercedes smiled at the action taking place. Her little girl was seriously the sweetest kid ever. She had no idea how much of positive impact she had on other people. Seeing their food coming out, she could feel the mood shift back into a happy one.

* * *

 **A/N. Show of hands, who saw Josh liking Quinn coming? Anyways, let's start from the top. Sam making all those cookies and falling asleep on the counter was priceless. Joscedes relationship is seriously the best. That little convo Josh and Quinn had was cute, tbh. And on to little Bailee, my heart broke right along with Mercedes'. She really misses her dad and for everyone who don't know, the last time she saw him was at Samcedes wedding. Pretty messed up, huh? Asshole. But like Mercedes said, she's going to be okay and she will.**


	29. Memorable First Christmas In Cali

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

 _You better watch out, you better not cry_

 _You better not pout, I'm telling you why, why?_

 _Santa Claus is coming to town_

 _He's making a list_

 _And checking it twice_

 _He's gonna find out who's naughty and nice_

 _Santa Claus is coming to town_

 _He sees you when you're sleeping_

 _He knows when you're awake_

 _He knows if you've been bad or good_

 _So be good for goodness sake_

 _You better watch out, you better not cry_

 _You better not pout, I'm telling you why_

 _Santa Claus is coming to town_

"Alright little ladies, two more minutes before you have to be in bed." Quinn said as she ran her hand through her daughter's hair.

"But mommy, the movie is not even at the end yet." Bailey said with a pout, lifting her head up from her lap.

"And I let you stay you up an hour past your bedtime." She gave her a knowing look, hearing her sigh, she shook her head with a smile.

Sam placed a small blanket over a sleeping Ari, who was curled up on his chest, "Plus, you have to sleep early. Santa only comes to kids houses who are sleep."

"Santa's not real, Uncle Sammie." Beth and Bailey's voices ran out at the same time, causing the older man to turn and look at them in complete shock.

"Yeah, you can guess who told them that last year." Quinn looked at the older man knowingly, rolling her eyes at the thought of her ex-husband. She stood up from the couch, "Alright, tell Uncle Sam goodnight and we'll see him bright and early in the morning."

Sam laughed quietly when they both groaned but did what their mother said, watching as they came over and kissed his and Ari's cheek, "Good night girls."

Mercedes locked the front door behind her, seeing the tail end of the girls and Quinn heading upstairs, she decided that she was going to go up after she spoke with her husband. Walking into the living room, she smiled as she spotted her two loves cuddled up on the couch, "Hey babe."

"Hey, you and Josh got done already?" Sam asked with a smile, kissing her when she bent down to him before taking a seat on the couch.

"Oh yeah, he dropped me off and said he'll see us in the morning." She said as she took off her cardigan, laying it behind her, "I have an early present I want to give you." She turned back to him with a smile before handing him the small box that she had in her hand.

Sam sat up a bit, handing her a sleeping Ari, "Baby, you know you never have to get me anything."

"I know but I think you're going to love this." Mercedes spoke as she swayed Ari in her arms, pressing a kiss to her forehead as her eyes went back to her husband.

Sam removed the paper and opened the top, eyebrows twitching up in confusion as he picked it up. His eyes went wide, mouth dropping, "I-Is this for real?"

Mercedes nodded her head as she bit down on her bottom lip, watching as he scanned over the paper again.

A huge smile broke out on Sam's lips as he looked up from the paper, "Oh my god." He didn't even realize he was crying until he felt tears sliding down his cheeks, "You're pregnant.."

Mercedes let out a watery chuckle as she nodded her head, whispering, "Yes." She smiled as she leaned over and wiped his eyes, placing a gentle kiss onto his lips, "We're going to have another little one."

"Wow, wow, wow." He exclaimed as he kissed her again before pulling back, sniffling as he looked at Ari, "She's going to be a big sister."

"Yes she is." Mercedes smiled as she ran her fingers through her daughter's hair, "Is it weird that I'm really nervous but excited?"

"Not at all." He couldn't stop smiling if he tried. Having a big family was always his dream and this news just made him ten times happier.

Mercedes saw the happiness that was all over his face and it honestly warmed her heart. She smiled as she leaned over and hugged him, careful not to wake their daughter up, "I love you so much."

"I love you more." He said as he hugged her as much as he could, pressing a kiss against the side of her head, "Want to finish this movie with me?"

"Of course." She whispered as she toed off her boots, sitting back on the couch, she moved the blanket back on Ari when it slipped off and cuddled up into her husband's side. She was beyond ecstatic that there was going to be a new addition to their growing family.

* * *

Josh leaned against the doorframe as he watched the kids go through the gifts in complete joy. He chuckled as he turned and headed back in the kitchen to get some breakfast. He had made it in around eight this morning and was immediately hit by all the feels. He was so happy to hear that his best friends were having another baby. They deserved all the happiness in the world. Picking up a cinnamon roll, her heard small feet running against the hardwood, turning around, he smiled when he saw Ari holding a rectangular gift box in her hands, "What's that pretty girl?"

"You." She said with a smile as walked up to him, tugging on his shirt as her arm lifted up so she could give it to him.

Josh picked her up, smiling when he saw that the tag on it said Uncle Josh. He looked at her and saw the smile still present on her face. He sat her on the counter and stood in front of her so she wouldn't fall. He removed the top from it and the tissue paper out of the way, he gasped when he saw the dog tags.

Ari took her small hand and picked it up, smiling as held the chain to his face.

Josh picked up both of the tags and saw that it said uncle and brother on the front side. Thank you for being the best uncle ever. Love you so much, Arianna. "Awe, thank you short stuff." Josh cooed as he kissed the little girl's cheek, tears already evident in his eyes before he read the next one. Josh, thank you for being the best brother ever. We couldn't be anymore thankful than what we already are to have you in our lives. We love you so much big brother. Love, Sam and Mercedes.

"I told you he was going to cry." Sam murmured quietly as him and Mercedes stood in the threshold, watching on with matching smiles on their faces.

"Shut up, Sam." Josh said as he sniffled, raising his eyes to look at his two best friends.

Mercedes giggled as she uncrossed her arms and went into the kitchen, "Do you like it?"

"I love it. Thank you." He said as he sat the box on the table, wiping his face as he leaned forward and gave her a hug. He gave her a squeeze before letting go and doing the same to Sam.

Mercedes smiled at them, turning back around when she heard a ding coming from her laptop in the other room. Walking over to where it was, she gasped softly before taking a seat at the table and clicking the answer button. Tears immediately began to fill in her eyes when she saw the face that she hasn't seen or spoke to in months.

"Merry Christmas, baby sis." Micah said with a smile as he looked at her through the screen, turning his hat back on his head.

"M-Micah." She got out as she stared at him, running her hands through her hair, "Oh my god, Merry Christmas. How are you? Are you okay? Did you get my letters? I miss you so much."

Micah watched her start to cry again and it honestly was breaking his heart, "I'm fine. Yes, I'm okay, I promise. Yes, I did get your letters but we've been in a place for a few weeks where we couldn't send any mail. I miss you too, Cedes..so much."

Mercedes sniffled as she wiped her eyes, "When can you come home?"

Micah sighed as his eyes adverted the screen. His sergeant had actually told him yesterday how long he needed him for and he knew that length of time was only going to break his sister's heart, "Two more years."

Mercedes closed her eyes as she put her head down, shaking it as she whispered, "That's too long."

"I know but we're both going to be so busy with our lives, it's going to breeze on by." Micah tried to reassure her, giving her a sad smile, "Come on sis, it's going to be okay, I promise. Cheer back up and tell me what's going on back in the states."

"You've missed a lot." She chuckled sadly as she took a deep breath before telling him every single thing that happened since he has been gone. In a span of ten minutes, she watched his expression turn from happy to angry to pissed off to relieved.

"What Sam did was child's play, I swear it was. I would be in jail right now." Micah said as he sat back in his chair, seeing the smile on her face brought one to his own, "How have you been doing, honestly?"

"I've been great." She said as she looked at him with a soft smile, taking in his features, "You've been doing well, I see."

Micah laughed as he patted his cheeks, waggling his brows, knowing exactly what she meant by that. Earning a chuckle from her, he folded his arms across chest as he gave her a stern look, "Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant?"

Mercedes eyes went wide, mouth dropping a bit, "H-How did you know?"

"Because you looked like you did when you were pregnant with Arianna. You're glowing, you're face is starting to get rounder and your lips are bigger than normal." He smirked when she put her head down, "Why didn't you want to tell me?"

"I guess I just got in a funk when you told me how long you were going to be gone." She said quietly as she felt her eyes starting to water, sniffling as she wiped her eyes, "Ari is going to be almost four and the new baby will be two. You're going to miss so much and I hate it."

"I know Cedes but I'm in tune with everything when you write and send me pictures." He said with a smile as he leaned forward, "Wipe your tears, pretty girl. Enjoy your life and your amazing, growing family." He watched her nod, looking behind her, "Now, let me see my niece, who has been staring at me for the longest."

Mercedes turned around and found everyone standing outside the door. Seeing Ari peeping around the corner, she giggled at the little girl.

"We were waiting for you to get finish so we could speak." Sam said, watching as Ari wiggled in his arms to get down. Once he sat her to the floor, he watched the little girl run over to where he mother was and climb into her lap.

Ari stared at her uncle with a smile, taking her small hand and waving, "hey."

"Well, hey there adorable." Micah smiled brightly, laughing because this was actually his first time hearing her talk.

"Hey Micah." Josh, Mike, Tina, Sam and Quinn spoke at the same time when they came up behind Mercedes.

Austin, Bailee, and Bethany came and stood beside Mercedes, waving at the older man, "Hi uncle Micah."

"Hey everyone, it's good to see you all. Merry Christmas." He smiled when they all said it back, eyes going to Sam, "And a congrats are in order to you man for impregnating my sister again."

Sam snorted as he shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest, "Thanks big brother."

Micah laughed at the man before looking at the others, hearing his sergeant calling for him, he sighed as he looked at them, "Quinn, thank you for dropping the loser, you're a billion times better without him. Bail and Beth, make sure you listen to your mother and work extra hard in school. Josh, continue to do what you love man. Your paintings are so dope. Austin, Mike and Tina, stay rad." His eyes went back to his little sister and her family, giving a soft smile, "I love you guys. Stay strong, be safe and happy. Take care of each other like I know you will. I'll try calling back as soon as I can. Merry Christmas."

"We love you Micah." Mercedes and Sam said as they gave him a sad smile, earning one in return. Ari sat back on her mother and waved her hand, a sad pout forming on her lips when the man waved bye to her before the screen went black.

"This shit is sad. I'm never going to get use to it." Josh whispered to himself before he shook his head and walked out the room, causing everyone to leave out except the Evans' crew.

Sam placed his hands on Mercedes' shoulders, squeezing them as he bent down and kissed the side of her head when he heard her sniffle.

"mommy." Ari stared at her sadly before placing her small hands on her cheeks. She sat up on her lap and wrapped her arms around her, laying her head down in the crook of her mother's neck.

Mercedes rubbed her daughter's back before closing her eyes. She didn't know how much she was helping her right now. Ari had the sweetest and most caring soul already.

* * *

After a very exciting and emotional morning for everyone, they finished their breakfast, cleaned up and got a movie in before heading out for the day. Josh, Quinn, Mike and Tina had taken the kids ice skating while Mercedes and Sam headed over to the children shelter a little early to drop off some presents they had brought for the kids and to give the cooking staff a hand with preparing the dinner for the day.

"Oh my god, this is so good." Sam said as he stuffed the buttery yeast roll in his mouth, earning a pop to the back of his head.

"Stop eating the food, Samuel."

Mercedes laughed at her husband when the head cook got onto him, watching as he took his hand and rubbed his head, mumbling a 'yes ma'am'. She placed the pan of dough in the oven and closed it, removing her gloves. She saw the owners daughter burst into the kitchen with a smile on her face as she came over to her.

"Come on Ms. Cedes." The little girl, Amelia said as she grabbed her hands, "Sing it."

Mercedes smiled brightly, hearing the music change over, she giggled before opening up her mouth to sing.

 _Feliz Navidad_

 _Feliz Navidad_

 _Feliz Navidad_

 _Prospero año y felicidad_

 _Feliz Navidad_

 _Feliz Navidad_

 _Feliz Navidad_

 _Prospero año y felicidad_

Mercedes picked her up and spun her around, chuckling when she broke out into fits a giggles. She stopped and put her down, grabbing her hands as they did the salsa for the remainder of the song.

 _I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas_

 _I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas_

 _I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas_

 _From the bottom of my heart_

Amelia looked up at her with a smile before hugging her tightly, letting go, she went over to Sam, "Mr. Sam, are you going to sing a song today?"

"Yes ma'am I am, anything special you want me to sing?" He asked with a smile, bending down when she gestured for him to.

Mercedes crossed her arms and watched with a smile as the little girl whispered something into his ear. Seeing Sam eyes light up, she knew that it was going to be a song he really loved.

"I will certainly sing that for you, Miss Amelia." He chuckled when she hugged him tightly before running back into the room. He stood back up and turned around, finding Mercedes watching him with a smile, "What?"

"Oh nothing..you're just really good with kids, that's all."

Sam smiled as he walked over to her, dropping a kiss to her lips, "I'm a push over when it comes to them, that's all. You're definitely going to be the disciplinarian for our squad."

Mercedes giggled as she shook her head, leaning up and fixing the antlers that was attached to his head, "You are most definitely weak when it comes to children, especially Arianna. She has you so wrapped around her little finger."

"Can't lie and say it's not true because it is. I'm going to work on being strong." He snorted as he shook his head. He looked down at her and gave a small smile, "How are you really doing?"

"Honestly, I'm just a tad sad about Micah but I'm keeping what he always tell me in my mind. When I do, I'm bursting at a whopping 99.99% percent with happiness. That one percent is left because of him." She said as she looked away from him, focusing her attention on the kids who were about to head and watch Arthur's Christmas before dinner, "I can't worry though. He doesn't want me to and I don't need to. I will and can not be stressed."

Sam nodded in agreement before wrapping her into a big hug, "Love you baby."

"Love you more." She mumbled against his shoulder as she hugged him back, letting a smile take over her lips.

"Excuse me lovebirds, the food is not going to cook itself." She watched them pulled apart, shaking her head before walking away, "You young people these days, I swear."

"She's so scary." Sam whispered to Mercedes before letting go, huffing out when she started giggling.

Mercedes grabbed a new pair of gloves, placing a kiss to her husband's cheek before she headed back to the front to get things done for dinner. This Christmas ended up being really special for her. It was their first one in Cali, and it was definitely a memorable one.

 _Have yourself a merry little Christmas_

 _Let your heart be light_

 _From now on our troubles_

 _Will be out of sight_

 _Have yourself a merry little Christmas_

 _Make the Yuletide gay From now on our troubles Will be miles away, oh ooh_

 _Here we are as in olden days_

 _Happy golden days of yore, ah Faithful friends who are dear to us_

 _Gather near to us, once more, ooh_

 _Through the years we all will be together_

 _If the fates allow Hang a shining star upon the highest bough,_

 _And have yourself a merry little Christmas now,_

 _Here we are as in olden days_

 _Happy golden days of yore, Faithful friends who are dear to us_

 _Gather near to us, once more_

 _Through the years we all will be together_

 _If the fates allow Hang a shining star upon the highest bough, oh_

 _And have yourself a merry little Christmas now, ooh_

 _Merry Christmas_

 _Merry Christmas_


	30. Daring Subjects

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **Aftertaste- Shawn Mendes**

* * *

Sam walked down the steps as he put his phone back into his pocket. He had got a text from Mercedes asking if he was free to meet her at the stairways behind her office. Holiday break was officially over, and it was back to school and work for everybody. He rounded the corner and walked down to the end of the hall, where he found her sitting on the step, "Hey baby."

Mercedes smiled when he kissed her then took a seat beside her, "Hey babe. I'm glad you could make it. I need a big favor."

"What's up?" He asked as he looked at her curiously, watching as she reached behind her and handed him a guitar, while she place one in her lap as well.

"I had something done to this part of the hall over break, and I just want to test it out..so.." Mercedes smiled brightly, batting her lashes, "Do you mind singing something, so I can see if it works?"

Sam grunted lowly when he noticed her giving him the look she knew he couldn't resist, "Fine, only because I love you."

"I love you too." She said as she watched him began to play the intro, following in suite when she picked up which song it was.

 _Re-rewind Friday night, never forget it_

 _How you let me go_

 _No more lies I'll be fine I know where I'm headed_

 _Probably should've known_

 _And now you're gonna say, "Pretty, please forgive me."_

 _Fool me once, told you twice you're gonna regret it_

 _Now you're all alone, yeah_

 _Turns out that no one can replace me_

 _I'm permanent, you can't erase me_

 _I'll help you remember me_

 _One more kiss is all it takes_

 _I'll leave you with the memory_

 _And the aftertaste_

Sam smiled as he watched her play, tapping his foot against the floor as he continued to sing.

 _Close your eyes, you can't hide_

 _Try to forget me, but I'm everywhere_

 _I'm the smell on your sheets_

 _You weren't ready when you left me there_

 _And now you're gonna say, "Pretty, please forgive me." Yeah_

 _Bet it hurts, it gets worse, you know nobody, said it would be fair, oh_

 _Turns out that no one can replace me_

 _I'm permanent, you can't erase me_

 _I'll help you remember me_

 _One more kiss is all it takes_

 _I'll leave you with the memory_

 _And the aftertaste_

 _And now there's something in your way_

 _'Cause you threw it all to waste_

 _And you wonder if you could take back what you did that day_

 _And it hurts, 'cause..._

 _Turns out that no one can replace me_

 _I'm permanent, you can't erase me_

 _I'll help you remember me_

 _One more kiss is all it takes_

I'll leave you with the memory

 _And the aftertaste_

Mercedes nodded her head as she listened to Sam, looking up, she smiled as she stopped and let him play the last part.

 _Truth is that no one can replace me_

 _I'm permanent, you can't erase me_

 _I'll help you remember me_

 _One more kiss is all it takes_

 _I'll leave you with the memory_

 _And the aftertaste_

 _And the aftertaste_

Mercedes clapped when he was finished, "Amazing, thank you so much. I haven't heard you sing in awhile, I forgot you could."

Sam snorted as he sat the guitar down before turning to her fully, "What did you have done?"

"A lot of kids come to this spot just to sing or record themselves singing, so I got some special sound boards installed. It gives a real garage acoustic sound and it worked good just now."

"Look at my little nugget making moves." Sam cooed as he leaned over and kissed her, earning a chuckle in response. He pulled back smiling, "How are you feeling today?"

"I'm feeling good. Just a little sleepy, missing my bed, and my little munchkin."

"Me too."

Mercedes smiled as she grabbed ahold of his hand, "What have you been doing all day?"

"We are finalizing who we want to send a letter of intent to for signing day next month."

"Awesome. I'm legit pumped for next season. I already have a feeling y'all are going to be amazing."

"Thank you baby."

"No problem." She leaned back once she felt her phone vibrating in her lap, picking it up, she looked down at the reminder, "Oh, I forgot to tell you that I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. Dr. Skye referred me to her sister, who just so happens to be an OBGYN too and lives here."

"Coincidence? I think not." Sam asked with a raised brow, "How did they both decide they wanted to do the same thing with their lives?"

Mercedes laughed at her husband, hitting his shoulder, "Baby, I don't know. Maybe they just love helping women and bringing babies into the world."

"Maybe so." Sam chuckled at himself, shaking his head, "I love you."

"I love you more." Mercedes said as she leaned forward and planted a small kiss to his lips before standing up, "I should let you get back to work. Thank you for coming to help me real quick."

"Anytime, my love." He said as he stood up, giving her a big hug before letting go and stepping down, "I'll see you at home."

Mercedes nodded before she turned back around to pick up the guitars so she could return them back to the music room.

* * *

Quinn held the stack of sketchbooks in the crook of her arm as she used her hand to unlock the door with the key. Today had marked her third week at the bridal company and she was really enjoying it. She had the afternoon off so she could get started on some sketches for clients. She was beyond glad she decided to move out here. Her daughters loved their new school, she loved her job, and the best part about everything, they were all genuinely happy. The only thing left for her to do is to get them a place to live. Although both of her best friends told her that she didn't have to rush in finding a place, she has been looking for a home for her and her girls. Locking the door behind her, she slid her purse of her shoulder and placed it on the foyer table, heading towards the living room, she stopped short when she found two unexpected faces.

"Okay Ari, I need some ideas." Josh said as he stared down at the small canvas on the table, while the little girl sat on the couch next to him eating some white cheddar puffs.

Ari gazed over at her uncle and smiled before her eyes went over to threshold where her aunt was standing. She took her hand and waved at her, "hi."

Josh looked up to see who Ari was speaking to, seeing it was Quinn, he gave the woman a smile, "Hey Q."

"Hi sweetheart." Quinn spoke to Ari as she walked over to her, dropping a kiss to her cheek before stacking her books on the table. She looked over at Josh and smiled, "Hey, I wasn't expecting to see you two."

"Oh yeah, I had today off so I could finish a painting. After breakfast, I just decided to do it from here instead of going back to my apartment." Josh explained as he watched her take a seat beside Ari, "What about you?"

"My boss gave me the afternoon off so I can finish some sketches." She smiled at him before turning her eyes to the blank canvas, "What do you have to make?"

"The customer said she just wants something bright, and different. I'm usually good at coming up with ideas, but I'm running blank at this moment."

"Have you guys ate lunch?"

"No."

Josh eyes went wide when the little girl answered, staring at her in disbelief, "Ari."

Arianna giggled as she picked up another one of her puffs and placed it her mouth.

Quinn raised a brow at the man before her eyes went back to the little girl, "Is uncle Josh being bad?" She snorted when she nodded her head, biting her lip as she looked back at the man, "Tsk, tsk, uncle Josh. You are a bad babysitter."

"We literally just ate had a sandwich." Josh said with a chuckle as he shook his head, playfully glaring at Ari, "I'm going to tell your mommy on you. You're being a bad girl."

Arianna face started to scrunch up as she looked at him, her eyes filling with tears as she went over and crawled into Quinn lap, laying her head down on her chest.

Quinn tucked her lips into her mouth to hold back her laughter when she saw the horrid look on Josh's face, rubbing her back, "It's okay baby girl."

"Oh my god, Ari I was kidding." Josh was starting to feel bad now that she was crying. Standing up, he went on the other side of the couch and bent down to her level, watching as she tried to hide her face from him, "Ari, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Uncle Josh is very sorry. I was being a complete as-meanie."

Quinn swayed her as she looked down, seeing that her eyes remained closed as a yawn escaped her mouth, "I think it's time for a nap."

"Yeah, she haven't had one yet." Josh mumbled as he stood back up, rubbing his arm as he watched Quinn start to put his little partner to sleep. Sighing, he sat back in his abandoned seat, picking up his canvas. He couldn't believe he just made his best friend cry.

Quinn hummed lightly for a few minutes, hearing her breathing start to even out, she stood up and went over to the other couch and laid her down. Running her hand through her hair, she turned back around and smiled at him, "She's not going to remember, Josh."

"I am though." He said with a slight pout forming on his lips as he turned to look at her, "I made a one year old cry. I didn't even think she would know what I was saying."

"She's super smart and mature for her age." Quinn said as she crossed her legs, picking up one of her books and opening it up. She grabbed her pencil but stopped short when she realized something, turning to look at Josh, "Try doing your version of a Southern California sunset with oil paint. I think that'll be super pretty."

Josh thought about it for a second before a smile spread across his lips, "That's actually not a bad idea, thanks Quinn."

"No problem." Quinn responded with a smile as she moved her eyes back to her unfinished work.

Josh spent the next few minutes sketching lightly on the canvas, "Have you starting looking at any houses yet?"

"Mhm." She hummed out as she darken the bow a bit, titling her head to the side, "Just briefly though. I think once I get a good price range, everything will start flowing."

"That's what I did. Well, I knew I wasn't going to be living with Sam and Mercedes forever, so I started saving my money until I had enough to move out, and had a good job waiting for me." Josh stopped what he was doing when he felt himself getting nervous. He knew why too. He has been going back and forth for the past three weeks, debating if he should do it or not. He knew he was just going to have to suck up his nervousness and ask her, "Quinn?"

Quinn removed her eyes from off her book and looked up at the man, "Yeah?"

"I know that this is kind of random and all, but I was wondering if you would like to have dinner with me sometime?"

Quinn eyes went wide as she heard what he asked, clearly not expecting that at all, "Like a date?"

"Yes." Josh said as he rubbed the back of his neck before taking his eyes off hers, "Only if you want to."

Quinn tucked her hair behind her ear, chewing on her bottom lip. She couldn't believe that Josh was asking her out on a date, "Um..sure..I would love too actually."

Josh smiled at her answer, nodding his head as he looked back up at her, "Great."

Quinn could feel her cheeks heating up and she thanked god that her phone rung at the moment it did. Excusing herself as she stood up to head to the foyer to get her purse.

* * *

Sam smiled as he tickled his daughter's sides, watching as she squealed out, giggling loudly. Being with his little girl was honestly the best part of his day.

Mercedes smiled at them as she sat back in the booth, picking up two ketchup covered fries and placing them in her mouth. They had just got through with their first appointment and stopped to get something to eat afterwards, "How are feeling after everything?"

Sam kissed Ari's cheek before he placed her in his lap, looking up at his wife, "I feel great. I mean, it's a total opposite from what I was feeling the first time around. I was so nervous and scared, but I can proudly say I'm not this time. Plus, the doctor is Dr. Skye's twin..literally, she's her twin."

 _Mercedes snorted at him, her thoughts leading her back to their first encounter with her new doctor._

 _"She'll be right in." The nurse said with a smile before she headed out the room._

 _Sam held a sleeping Ari in his arms as he leaned back in the chair, looking up at Mercedes as she crossed her ankles, "Dad called me this morning and said he's coming to visit soon."_

 _"Yay, I'm so glad." Mercedes said with a smile, "It's been too long."_

 _"Yeah, we haven't seen him since Thanksgiving." Sam let a grin take over his lips when he saw Ari place her thumb in her mouth, "He gets to stay longer this time. Thank god he's his own boss."_

 _"Amen to that." Mercedes praised just as there was a knock at the door, following by it opening. She turned her head and immediately did a double take when the woman came in._

 _"Mr. and Mrs. Evans." She spoke softly as she came in with the chart in her hand, smiling at the young couple, "I am Dr. Liz Carpenter and I will be with you on this journey. My sister has told me nothing but good things about you two."_

 _Sam's mouth was wide opened as he stared at the woman, eyes going to Mercedes before they went back to her, "Y-You're Dr. Skye..no, I know you're not her, but you have her face and voice."_

 _Dr. Carpenter looked between them, seeing the shocked looks on their faces caused her to laugh as she grabbed some gloves to put on, "I guess my sister failed to tell you that we're identical twins."_

 _"Yeah, she kind of left that out." Mercedes stared at the woman and shook her head, "Y'all are for real twins. I could've sworn you were her walking in."_

 _"In a way, I kind of am." Liz chuckled as she started to get her equipment set up, sitting down on the stool._

"I legit thought it was Dr. Skye." Mercedes giggled as she picked up her hot dog and took a bite out of it.

Sam laughed as he nodded his head in agreement, "I did too. I think she's going to be just as good as her sister."

"Agreed." Mercedes replied as she sat up, "Speaking of sis, we're on babysitting duty next Saturday night, I'm just giving you a heads up."

Sam eyed her suspiciously, "What's going on next Saturday night?"

"I don't know. Quinn just asked if we could watch the girls for a few hours." Mercedes shrugged as she picked up her drink, "I told her that wasn't a problem. I figure that she just need some time to complete her sketches for work."

"Uh-huh, yeah..no." Sam said as he watched Ari grab one of his fries off his plate and stuck in her mouth, "Her and Josh have a date."

Mercedes eyes went wide as she almost choked on the drink, patting her chest, What?"

Sam nodded his head as he looked at her, "Josh let it slip this morning, but I'm shocked that they even like each other like that. I'm really surprised at the fact she didn't tell you."

"Me too, but hey, if she wants to share it or not, it's okay. It's her personal business, both of theirs."

"You're right, but I honestly didn't see this coming."

"I can't believe you didn't notice them heart eyes your best friend has every time he's around her." Mercedes smirked as she could visually see the way Josh looked at Quinn, "He wears his heart on his sleeves, just like you."

"Ain't going to lie, it's true. I am an emotional man, and there's nothing wrong with that."

"I'm glad you know that, baby." She cooed as she leaned over and pinched his cheeks, causing him to laugh. She smiled down at their daughter, who was busy eating the fries off his plate, "We're going to have two kids in a few months Sam, has that sunk in yet?"

"It actually has for me. I'm so excited, babe. Ari is the best thing in the world and I'm happy that we get to keep adding on to our growing family." Sam said with a smile as he pressed a kiss to her forehead, "Wouldn't mind having a boy, but as long as it's healthy, I don't care what it is."

"I feel the same way."

Arianna tilted her head up and stared up at her dad, smiling as she lifted her hand and placed the fry into his mouth.

Mercedes smiled at the two before she looked down at her phone, seeing that it was a text from Quinn. _We_ _need_ _to_ _talk_ _when_ _you_ _get_ _home_. She smirked to herself before replying back. This was definitely going to be interesting.

* * *

 **A/N. Wohooo, back to updating! If you haven't already, check out my holiday story, Delayed, & ASC has been updated as well. Let me know your thoughts on this update!**


	31. Hold Me By My Heart

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE MENTION.**

 **Hold Me By The Heart- Kehlani**

* * *

"Yummy, right?" Mercedes asked her daughter, seeing her scrunch up her face, she chuckled as she held onto her as they moved down to the rest of the toppings. It's been awhile since she had some along time with her daughter, and she had to admit, she has missed it. So, after she picked her up from Josh at work, she decided to take her out for some frozen yogurt. She picked up the two small cups and made her way to a booth, smiling when Ari got up in it on her own, scooting closer to her, "Alright Cookie Monster, here you go." She slid the small cup in front of her that contained strawberry yogurt and just a small amount of sprinkles she pointed to. As for herself, she had got the brownie batter flavor and added pecans.

Ari sat on her knees and picked up the spoon, watching and mimicking her mother's actions as she scooped her some of the delicious treat and placed it in her mouth.

Mercedes giggled as she smiled at her, picking up her phone so she could take a picture, "Smile baby."

"Cheese." The toddler showed all her teeth as she posed for her mother, earning a giggle from her.

Mercedes took a few, eyes looking up at the contact name who was trying to FaceTime her, "It's daddy, Ari." She pushed the answer button and handed her the phone.

"Daddy." She squeaked out as she looked at the man on the phone, smiling brightly.

"Cookie Monster." Sam smiled as he looked at his daughter, "Hey baby, what are you doing?"

"Um..yogert." She said as she looked at her mother for confirmation, seeing her nod her head, she looked back at him trying to form the words in her head, "I eat yogert."

Sam chuckled at how she was pronouncing it, but he was beyond proud. For her to be just one, she was developing quite maturely. She was learning and understanding things like a five year old, "Is it good?"

Ari nodded her head before handing the phone back to him, causing both of her parents to laugh at how over she was talking at the moment.

Mercedes placed her spoon back in her cup as she adjusted the phone in her hand, "Hey love."

"Hey baby. I can't believe you two are having a yogurt date without me."

Mercedes smirked smugly at his pouting, "Well, that's what you get for having ice cream dates without me." She chuckled when he smacked his lips, "Plus, I just wanted so alone time with my little munchkin."

"Understandable." Sam smiled as he leaned back and spun around in his chair, "But while my two favorite ladies are enjoying mommy and daughter time, daddy has to work late."

"Awe, no. I was hoping you'll be home early, it's taco night." Mercedes pouted as she looked at him, "Why?"

"Since our athletic director and his secretary spontaneously took vacation at the same time.." Sam gave his wife a knowing look, causing her to snort, "We have to finish the paperwork for our recruits coming in June ourselves. They were suppose to be sent out Monday."

"They couldn't have made it more obvious that they have a thing going on." Mercedes commented as she glanced to the side, watching Ari scoop up a big amount and place it in her mouth, "God, she's your child Sam, look at her."

Sam watched as the camera switched off of Mercedes' face to his daughter, laughing at amount of yogurt that missed her mouth and ended up on the sides of her face and the front of her shirt.

"Daddy." Ari said slowly as she gave him the look Mercedes always did when he needed to hush.

"How do she pick up on that?" Sam asked as he stared at the little girl in shock, "Her facial expressions be dead on with yours."

"I honestly believe our daughter is a baby genius, I'm so serious." Mercedes chuckled as she placed some of her yogurt in her mouth, "You know who she takes that after."

"Me, of course." Sam smirked as he watched Mercedes roll her eyes, looking back at his computer, sighing, "I'll let my babies go and enjoy the rest of mommy and daughter time. Just know I'm super jealous, and totally hating right now."

Mercedes smiled at him, "I'll bring you your favorite back and it'll be in the freezer waiting for you."

Ari went over and stood beside her mom, bending down to look at her dad, "I love you, daddy."

"I love you so much, Cookie Monster. Be a good girl for mommy, okay?" He watched as she nodded before blowing him a kiss, causing him to do the same as a smile appeared his face. He looked back up at Mercedes and gave her a lopsided grin, "See you tonight, I love you."

"I love you more." She smiled at him before disconnecting, placing her phone on the counter. She let out a giggle when she saw Ari dancing along to the music that was playing inside the building, "Okay little girl, I think I made the mistake of letting you have all this sugar before dinner."

"No." Ari giggled as she shook her head, leaning forward and wrapping her arms around her mother's neck.

Mercedes rubbed her back before placing a kiss to the side of her head, "My little baby." She smiled when she started chuckling. This alone time with her girl was much needed. She loved her daughter so very much.

* * *

Quinn adjusted her dress as she stepped back, taking a deep breath. Tonight was the big night and she for one was super nervous. She didn't know if it was for the fact that this was her first time on a date in years, or the fact that the person was Josh. Either way, she was nervous but excited.

"Uncle Sammie, you're actually pretty good." Bailee commented as she looked in the mirror at her two braids, smiling up at the man.

"Better than Aunt Cedes?" He asked with a smirk, ignoring glare Mercedes was shooting him.

Bailee eyed him as she turned back around and headed over to the couch, "I didn't say all that."

"Ha." Mercedes said smugly as she sunk further down into the couch, wrapping herself up in her blanket. She smiled when Ari walked over to her and laid down in front of her, holding onto her sippy cup.

Sam waved them both off before he clapped his hands "Alright, it's movie time."

Quinn made sure she had everything before turning off the lights. She walked down the hall, the sounds of her heels clacking against the floor was weirdly making her more nervous than she was. She had decided on a short sleeveless navy dress paired with a nude pair of heels. Her hair was pinned up into a bun, while her makeup was lightly done, "Okay, how do I look?"

"Amazing." Sam and Mercedes voices ran out at the same time as they sent their friend a smile.

Bailee held her cup in her hand as she walked over to her, "You look really pretty, mommy, where are you going?"

"Mommy is having dinner with a friend." Quinn smiled as she looked at her, hearing the doorbell ring, she instantly became nervous again.

"I'll get it." Sam said as he maneuvered around the couch, heading to the front door.

"Relax, Q." Mercedes told her best friend as she looked at her, seeing her take a deep breath and nod her head, "Hey Bailee, how about you, and the girls go upstairs and get your blankets, pillows, and anything else you want to bring down."

"Okay." She giggled when she saw Ari get up from where she was sitting and come to her, taking ahold of her hand, while Beth came on the other side of her.

"I'm going to go get some water real quick."

Mercedes watched as she headed to the kitchen before her eyes went back to the threshold where her husband was now standing with a very good looking Josh, "Hubba, Hubba. Who is this hunk?"

Josh chuckled at his sister, feeling the heat rush up to his neck and cheeks. He had to admit, he did go to a little extra in making himself presentable for tonight. Unknowingly matching Quinn, the man had on a navy blue long sleeved dress shirt with a black tie, black slacks, and black dress shoes. It was still a mystery to both Sam and Mercedes on how he got his hair to slick back without gel or water, but that's how he had it tonight.

"If I wasn't married.."

"But you are, so pipe down." Sam sent his wife a glare, turning his body in the direction of the kitchen, "Quinn, hurry up."

Mercedes giggled at how mad he had got all of sudden, shaking her head as she turned back to Josh, "You look really nice, Josh."

"Thank you, Mercedes." He said with a smile, chuckling underneath his breath when he saw the look his best was giving them. Hearing Quinn answer Sam, he turned around and felt his words get caught in his throat as he stared at her, "H-Hey."

"Hey."

"Hi." Josh spoke again as he stared at her with a dorky smile, "You look beautiful."

"Thank you." She blushed as she held the clutch in her hand, "You look really nice too."

Mercedes smiled as she sat up, watching the exchange with so much interest. Looking at the time, "You two better get going."

"Right, right." Josh snapped out of his gaze, offering his arm for her to take, when she did, he turned to his two best friends, "I'll have her back by midnight."

Sam walked them to the door, "Y'all be safe out there."

"We will. Kiss my babies goodnight for me." Quinn told her friends before she walked out the house.

Sam waved goodbye as he closed and locked the door, heading back into the living room. He grunted as he looked at Mercedes, turning his nose up at her.

"Awe, come here." Mercedes cooed as she watched him sit on the opposite side of the couch, rolling her eyes. She took the blanket off of her and stood up, walking carefully onto the cushions.

"Be careful." He mumbled out as he watched her walk on the couches, looking up with a frown when she hovered over him.

Mercedes smirked as she straddled his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck, "Don't be jelly." She pressed a kiss to his frown before pulling back, dropping small pecks across his cheek then to his neck, "Let's be real here, Sam."

"I'm listening." He tried to say strongly, trying to dismiss the affect she was having on him but was struggling.

"You will forever be the only man I want and need, got it?" She asked as she leaned back and placed a long, pointed kiss to his lips, getting off when she heard the girls coming down the stairs.

"Got it." Sam gulped loudly as he stared at her, cursing underneath his breath at how easily she got him bothered. Standing up, he moved closer to her when the girls came in, whispering to where she could only hear, "We'll pick this up later."

"If you say so.." She sent him a wink as she went to turn the lights off, going back to her abandoned seat.

"Alright, kiddos. I get first pick." Sam chuckled when he heard the groans, moving to sit beside Mercedes. They had moved the tables out of the way and made a pallet for the girls to lay on.

"As long as it's not Frozen, that movie is so annoying, uncle Sammie." Bailee said as she laid her head down on the pillow, turning to the side with a smile when she saw Ari snuggle next to her.

"Frozen is a no for me too." Sam said as he scrolled through the movies, looking at Bethany, "How about you, Beth?"

The four year grimaced as she lifted her head up, "No Frozen."

Mercedes laughed as she looked at her husband, raising a brow, "What movie did you have in mind?"

"Zootopia." He said with a smile as he pushed the play button, ignoring the look his wife was giving him.

"You have seen this movie about eighty times."

"I love it, you love it, they love it, so hush up and enjoy it." He wrapped his arm around her, giving her a kiss before sitting back on the couch.

* * *

Mercedes blew out a breath as fixed her hair in the mirror, glancing down at her phone to check the time. It was Sunday evening and she had planned on being in bed all day, but one of her friends from college, Rena, had called and ask if she could sing at her lounge, due to her opening act backing out. She didn't mind at all, because for one, she would never turn down an opportunity to sing. So, she grabbed her friends and got the kids to their babysitters.

"Oh man, it's been awhile since we all hung out." Tina said as she picked up the wine glass and took a sip as her and Quinn sat at the bar.

Quinn nodded as she played with the ring on her middle finger, "It really has."

"What's been up with you, girlie?"

"Just work and the girls." Quinn said as she lifted her eyes, looking over to where the guys were, a faint smile taking over her lips before she looked back at Tina, "And I've have gotten back into the dating scene."

"Oh my god, Quinn that's really amazing. You know you deserve happiness and I'm so happy that you have realized that." She said as she leaned over and squeezed her shoulder, sitting back, "So, any luck guy has grabbed your interest yet?"

"Honestly, yeah."

 _Quinn chuckled as she took a sip of her wine, placing the glass on the table. She had to admit that she was having a really good time. Not that she is too surprised, but learning more about Josh, he was just simply amazing to her, "Honestly Josh, you are so great. Like seriously, how are you not married right now?"_

 _Josh shrugged sadly as he looked at her, "Guess I haven't found the one yet.."_

 _Quinn nodded understandably before she let out a sigh, feeling her whole mood shift, whispering, "Why me?"_

 _Josh faced scrunched up into confusion when he heard her question, "Huh?"_

 _"Why me, Josh? Why did you ask me, out of all women, on this date? I'm a divorcee with two kids, and I'm not even living in my own place."_

 _"Quinn, that doesn't mean anything to me. I chose you because I like you. You're beautiful, smart, funny and just all around amazing. I don't care if you have two kids, I don't care that you're living with your friends, and I definitely don't give a damn that you're divorce. You're a remarkable woman and it's like, everything time I'm in your presence, I'm just in awe."_

 _Quinn didn't know why but hearing him say that made her tear up. Even though her friends and family has told her this countless of times, it just felt so different hearing it come from his mouth. She really did like Josh, has for awhile, and she could definitely see this going some where._

"Alright, ladies and gents. There has been a change in talent. Since the original open act canceled at the last minute, I had to scurry and find someone who was willing to do this for me." Rena said with a smile as she looked out the crowd, "My old college friend graciously took out some time from her Sunday to come help me out, so everyone please show some love to the lovely, and talented, Mrs. Mercedes Jones-Evans."

Mercedes smiled as they clapped for her, walking up the steps, she went and gave Rena a tight hug before letting her go.

"That's my sexy ass wife up there. You go baby!" Sam called out when the claps quieted down, causing everyone to laugh as Mercedes sat down on the stool

"Thank you for the shoutout, love." Mercedes giggled into the mic as she looked out at the crowd, "And thank you everyone and Rena for the warm welcome. I'm actually so excited to perform for you all tonight. This song that I'm going to sing actually is dedicated to two of my friends and for anyone out there who feels like you're completely hopeless after this particular event. Just know, there is hope and you're going to be just fine. I'm going to stop ranting, and just sing. Please listen to the words." She smiled before giving the band nod, moving her head when they began to play.

 _Wasn't sure I'd be alright_

 _Wasn't sure I'd be okay again_

 _Didn't know how to take flight_

 _Wings broken couldn't seem to bend_

 _Somehow you came and like the wind, you picked me up for good_

 _And now I know what I have missed, I've been thinking that you should_

 _Pick up the pieces_

 _Help me learn to stand_

 _Lift me from the ground and use your hands_

 _To hold me by the heart_

 _Tell me I'll be whole again_

 _Hold me by the heart_

 _Tell me it will never end_

 _'Cause I've begun to think that_

 _I was nothing short of broken_

 _So baby, hold me by the heart_

 _Help me fly again_

 _Always read all the fairytales_

 _Always knew that it would come_

 _Through the pain I convinced myself_

 _"It's only magical for some"_

Josh titled his head as he listened to Mercedes articulate each lyric. It only took him a few seconds to realize she was talking to him.

Quinn was so captivated by her friend's voice, but she got the message quickly. She was one of the friends she was singing this to. Looking over to Josh, he must of thought the same thing because he was staring at her.

 _Somehow you came and like a prince and picked me up for good_

 _And now I know what I have missed, I'm thinking that you should_

 _Just pick up the pieces_

 _Help me learn to stand_

 _Lift me from the ground and use your hands_

 _To hold me by the heart_

 _Tell me I'll be whole again_

 _And hold me by the heart_

 _Tell me it will never end_

 _'Cause I've begun to think that_

 _I was nothing short of broken_

 _So baby, hold me by the heart_

 _Help me fly again_

Sam glanced between Josh and Quinn, smirking as he took a sip of his drink before turning his eyes back on his wife, falling more in love with her than he already was. She was such an amazing person, he would never get tired of saying it.

 _Pick up the pieces_

 _Help me learn to stand, Help me learn to stand_

 _Lift me from the ground and_

 _Use your hands, Use your hands_

 _Pick up the pieces, Hey_

 _Help me learn to stand, Help me learn to stand_

 _Lift me from the ground and_

 _Use your hands, Use your hands_

 _Use your hands_

 _Hold me by the heart_

 _Hold me by the heart, Hold me by the heart_

 _Tell me it would never end_

 _'Cause I've begun to think that_

 _I was nothing short of broken_

 _So hold me by the heart_

 _Help me fly again_

Mercedes smiled as she let go out the mic, standing up and bowing when the people in the lounge cheered loudly for her, "Thank you." She gave them a wave before she made her way to her husband and friends. She had hope that Josh and Quinn had realized that the song was for them, and that they understood the lyrics. She loved her best friends and she only wanted what was best for them.

* * *

 **A/N. Hope you've been enjoying all this fluff, because it's sadly about to come to a pause for a minute. Let me know your thoughts on this update! Oh, and I just gave you a glimpse of Josh and Quinn's date for a reason (Create a ship name for them y'all).**


	32. Disturbance In The Peace

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **Two Month Time Jump, Third Week In March.**

 **Valerie Anderson- Brie Larson**

* * *

Sam held onto a sleeping Ari as he walked through the house. He had spent the morning getting things together for tomorrow evening, and he had took his little girl with him. It was always such a joy getting to spend some much needed daddy and daughter time. He loved Arianna so much, she was truly the light of his life. Spotting his wife out back sitting on the patio couch, he made his way out back to the already opened door.

Mercedes hummed as she laid back on the couch chewing, raising her eyes when she saw her husband and baby girl coming out, "Hey babe."

"Hey, my love." Sam walked over and sat beside her, holding Ari in his arms, "What you got there?"

"Dad decided to grill today, so he made me a cheeseburger and oh my god.." She said as she put the burger back in her mouth, taking another bite as she placed her hand on her stomach.

Sam chuckled as he watched her run circles around her stomach, smiling. She was starting to show and he loved every bit of it.

"Oh.." Mercedes started as she glanced at her husband with a smirk, "Dad has something to tell you."

"What is it?" Sam asked, seeing her shake her head just as his dad came out, "Hey Dad."

"Hey son." Dwight greeted as he came back out with a pan in his hand, glancing over at him, he looked confusedly when he saw him staring, "What?"

"What you got to tell me?"

Dwight sat the pan down and looking over at Mercedes, who was just smiling brightly. He released a low chuckle before speaking, "I-um..l am dating someone."

Sam eyes went wide as he stared at his father, looking over at his wife who had an excited expression plastered on her face, "Wait, huh? Where did y'all meet? Who is she? Do she have any kids? Does Stacey, Stevie and Summer know?"

"Geez, you ask more questions than your wife."

"Hey." Mercedes protested as she sent a small glare to the older man, causing him to laugh as she sat her burger on the plate and placed it on the table.

"We met at the farmers market last January, went on a date in February. Her name is Anne, she has two kids, Leo and Regina, and yes, they know." Dwight answered all of his questions, seeing that he had one lingering to ask but didn't say anything, "I didn't want to tell anyone about it yet, because I wanted to see where it was going to go. But, it's been an amazing couple of months, and you know what? It feels great to have someone."

Mercedes smiled at the man, feeling her eyes starting to water up, "I'm so happy for you."

"I am too." Sam spoke after a moment, nodding his head with a smile, "You deserve to be happy dad and as long as she makes you happy, I'm all for it."

"Thank you both." Dwight smiled before he turned to Mercedes, who was full out crying. He gave Sam a look before standing up, going to hug the emotional girl, "It's okay, Mercedes."

"It's the baby making me like this." She squeaked out as she sniffled, hugging him back tightly.

Sam tucked his lips in to keep his laughter at bay, shaking his head. She was back to her pregnancy mood-swings, something he did not miss. He watched as his dad patted her back before letting go, causing him to scoot over and placed his arm around her, "So, when do we get to meet her?"

"When y'all come back down to visit."

"Which is definitely going to be before I can't get on a plane anymore." Mercedes piped in as she crossed her ankles, cleaning her face off with a napkin, "I think I need a break from Cali. I love it here, but I never thought I'd miss the south. These restaurants don't know how to cook proper soul food when I don't feel like cooking it."

Sam nodded in agreement, "I whole heartedly agree."

Dwight snorted at his two kids, making his way back over to the grill, "Still can't with you two."

Mercedes glanced down when she heard a soft murmur leave Ari's mouth, smiling as the little girl eyes began to flutter open, "Hey Cookie." She reached over and picked her out of her daddy's lap, pressing a kiss to her forehead as she held her.

Dwight watched as his granddaughter wrapped her arms around her mother's neck, laying her head down on her shoulder. He smiled as he checked on the meat before taking it off the grill, "Are y'all ready for this gala tomorrow?"

"You know how I hate going to any type of event." Sam commented as he leaned over and began taking Ari's shoes off. The athletic department was throwing the annual athletic gala tomorrow to get together alumni, family, friends, and future prospects.

"I know, and when you were playing ball, you could find a way to get out of them, but you'e a coach now, so you have to get use to it."

Mercedes nodded as she looked at her husband with a smile, "On the upside, at least you'll always have our friends, and me there to keep you company."

"Yeah, that is true." Sam gave her a small kiss, chucking when Ari took her hand and pushed his face away from his wife, "Alright, I forgot. I won't touch mommy while she's holding you." He watched as Mercedes giggled, rubbing Ari's back as she leaned back on the couch and closed her eyes.

Sam couldn't help but smile as he stood up, going over to where his dad was, "So old man, tell me more about this Anne you're dating."

* * *

Josh straighten out the bow tie as he looked in the mirror, giving himself a smile. The past two months has been nothing but great for him. He was selling triple the amount of paintings he was when he first came, feeling better mentally, emotionally and physically, and on top of that, his relationship with Quinn was only getting stronger. They have been seeing each other officially for a month in a half and things were going great. The only problem the two had was Bailee. She did not like the fact that they were dating, and made it very known. He sighed as he dropped his hands, turning around, a smile taking over his lips when he saw Quinn, "Silver is definitely your color. You look gorgeous."

Quinn had on a Roland Mouret Brenner Metallic Silk blend gown. Her hair was straightened, makeup was done flawlessly and had bright pink lips. She tucked the clutch underneath her arm as she walked over to him with a smile, "Thank you. You don't look too bad yourself." She complimented as she leaned forward and placed a kiss on his cheek."

"I try." He popped his jacket, causing the woman to giggle. He smiled as he moved her hair behind her ear, letting go when he saw a waiter come up with a tray full of champagne flutes. He turned and stared at all the people in the room, wincing a bit, "I have always felt so uncomfortable around these people."

Quinn nodded in agreement, taking a sip of her drink, "You and me both. I know if we're feeling that way, Mercedes and Sam definitely are."

Josh agreed as he watched on, hearing the music began to play, he sat his glass down before holding out his hand, "Can I have this dance?"

"Of course." She smiled as she took ahold of his hand, following him onto the dance floor.

"Stop." Mercedes swatted at Sam's hands, chuckling as the man tried to adjust her dress in the chest area, "Baby, I'm pregnant and my boobs are extra huge because of it. There is nothing more you can do to try to cover them."

"Yeah, well..I don't want to have to go to jail for beating someone's ass for looking down." He replied with a frown, groaning at the deep v-neck of the dress, "You look so beautiful though, seriously."

"Thank you, love." Mercedes smiled as she leaned forward and placed a long kiss to his lips. The gold La Mania Nealy Lamé gown complimented Mercedes and sprouting stomach. The only thing she was sporting on her face was mascara and clear lipgloss, while her curly was pulled back into a low bun. She wrapped her arms around his neck and placed another soft kiss to his lips just as a flash from a camera went off.

"I swear I have never not walk up on y'all not kissing." Derek came with a smirk on his face, watching as the two pulled away.

Mercedes rolled her eyes but smiled at the woman on his arm, going over to give her a hug, "Hey Val."

Valerie giggled as she hugged the shorter woman back, "You look simply amazing." She said as she pulled back, eyes sparkling as she took her hand and placed it on her stomach, "You have gotten bigger since I saw you last week."

"Tell me about it."

"That's one of the old wives tales signs for a boy. Rapid growth outward. That's how Valerie was when she was pregnant with all four of our boys."

"I thought about that too, but when I was pregnant with Ari, I had the signs, symptoms and cravings of it being a boy." Mercedes shrugged as she gave them both of a smile, "We'll be finding out really soon though."

Valerie watched as a big smile came across Sam's face and she couldn't help but smile herself. She loved this couple so much, and she was so happy that they were friends. Grabbing ahold of Mercedes' hand, "If you gentlemen will excuse us, we are going to go eat."

Sam watched as Mercedes nod her head excitedly before giving him a wave. He chuckled as he turned back to a Derek, patting his shoulder, "Let's go get a drink."

"Lord knows we need one to get through this." Derek mumbled as he walked beside him, praying that this event could come and go.

* * *

It didn't take long for people to find out Mercedes was pregnant. Once they did, it spread like a wildfire and the couple has been receiving congratulators majority of the night. Mercedes and Sam had agreed early on that they weren't going to announce the pregnancy, mostly because it was their business and they wanted privacy. But, people were bound to find out soon because Mercedes belly wasn't going to stay it's normal size forever.

Josh made his way over to where Mercedes was, holding his glass in his hands. He had lost his girlfriend to a bunch of women who had found of she was a wedding dress designer. Smiling, he saw the woman leaned back in the chair, holding her stomach, "Hey you."

Mercedes looked up when she heard Josh, giving him a weak smile, "Hi."

"You okay?" He asked worriedly as he sat his cup down on the table, going over to where she was.

Mercedes shook her head as she took a deep breath, "I'm not feeling too good, and I didn't want to tell Sam because I didn't want him to get worried."

"You know he's going to flip when he finds out." Josh replied knowingly, watching as she rolled her eyes and nodded. He gave her a smile as he held out his hand, "Come on, I'll take you home."

"No, you don't have to.."

"Mercedes."

Mercedes watched as he gave her a knowing look before grunting, grabbing his hand, she stood up carefully to her feet, grabbing her clutch, "Fine."

"Let me just tell Quinn, and I'll be right back."

Sam shook this man's hand before walking away, spotting his wife standing up, he went over to where she was with a worried expression, "What's wrong?"

"I think the excitement of the day was a little too much for us. Josh is going to take me home." Mercedes gave him a small smile as she leaned forward for a hug, "I'm fine, just need to get off my feet and into the bed. And no, you don't need to come. You have to stay for work."

Sam frowned at her, not liking what she had to say at all but he was going to let her have it, "Fine, but you call if you need me for anything. I should just be another hour."

Just as Mercedes nodded and gave him a kiss, Josh was walking back up to the couple, "Quinn's going to come back with you. She's tied up with a lot of future brides, who apparently couldn't wait until Monday to come to her office."

Sam snorted as he glanced over to where his friend was, turning his head back to them, "You all be careful. Take care of my girl, Josh."

"Always, brother. Don't worry." Josh patted Sam's shoulder before holding out his arm for her to take, when she did, he turned and headed for the door.

Mercedes gave Sam a wave before they headed for the hallway, going into the already opened elevator. Watching Josh push the button, she laid her head down on his shoulder, "Thank you, Josh."

"No problem, Cedes." Josh replied as he looked back down at her with a smile, patting her hand. He took a deep breath as he watched the numbers change, seeing it hit the garage level and the door opened. They stepped out and he instantly tensed up and stood in front of Mercedes as they barely made it out of the elevator.

Mercedes was confused to why Josh's mood had shift, and why he jumped in front of her, realization dawning on her quickly when she heard the familiar voice.

"You know, I never took you as a man who would steal somebody's wife."

Josh glared at the man as he moved Mercedes out of sight, seeing the gun he had pointed at him, "What the hell are you doing, Puck?"

Puck stared at him intently before holding the gun at him, "You stole my wife." He walked closer to him, seeing him pulling Mercedes behind him, he sneered as he looked at the woman and waved the gun between them, "I lost everything because of you. My kids, my wife, and my career..all because you couldn't mind your own damn business."

"No, you lost them on your own." Mercedes snapped back, feeling her heart start to beat rapidly in her chest as her eyes went to gun, her hands gripping Josh tightly.

"SHUT UP!" He screamed as sweat poured from his face, eyes wildly darting between them before they went back to Josh, "You think you can replace me, huh? You can NEVER replace me. I'm not going to let you play husband and daddy to my family."

Josh saw him put his finger on the trigger and he instantly reacted, moving forward, he pushed him to the ground, grabbing his hands out the way as the shot went off in the ceiling .

Mercedes was too in shock that she didn't know what to do. Feeling the déjà vu of it all, she knew she should've pushed the elevator button or at least got out the way. But she couldn't. The woman was frozen in her spot as she watched in horror as the two man fought on the ground.

Josh grunted as he slammed Puck to the ground, trying to knock the gun from his hand but he had a tight grip on it. Feeling him punch him in the face, his head flew back back, causing him to have an advantage. He watched as he wilding waved the gun, shooting twice, which one hit his shoulder. Josh didn't even have time to groan out it pain as he finally snatched the gun and slid it underneath a car. Punching him hard in his face twice, he stood up when he saw him lay back. Turning around, his eyes widen in horror when he saw the blood spreading in the front of Mercedes' dress, "MERCEDES." He ran over to her quickly, ignoring the increasing pain in his shoulder. He saw the tears streaming down her face as her eyes closed, hearing her whimpers as he caught her before she fell. Sitting down on the ground, he pulled out his phone and dialed 911, all while trying to get her to wake up, "P-Please Mercedes, wake up..don't do this." He saw her breathing start to slow down and the tears spilled from his eyes as he heard the operator come on the other line, "I-I need help, m-my friend has been shot..downtown convention center..HURRY UP." He screamed as he threw his phone, crying out loud as he held onto her. This was not how this night was suppose to end.

* * *

 **A/N. I AM SO SORRY!**


	33. Heavenly Serenity

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT GLEE NOR ANY QUOTE MENTION.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

 _God gives his hardest battles to his strongest soldiers._

Josh sat on the bed with the sling on his arm, mindlessly staring in the hall as his eyes filled with tears. Thankfully, the bullet in his shoulder went straight through and didn't cause any damage. The doctor and nurse treated, stitched, and wrapped him up. Although he was fine and cleared to go home, he couldn't for the life of him because he was worried about Mercedes.

 _"Her pulse is weak."_

 _Josh heard a nurse say as he followed behind the gurney, no matter how many times they told and physically tried to stop him._

 _"We need to figure out where this bleeding is coming from." The doctor said as they stopped at the first empty room, grabbing a pair of scissors while the nurses began to hook her up to different machines, "I need a monitor on this baby."_

 _The nurse pulled the ultra sound machine in just as the doctor cut the fabric down, scanning her stomach area. Her eyes went wide when she realized where she was hit, "We need to make this quick. Check on the baby and we have to move upstairs to Dr. Rayford for surgery."_

 _Josh watched as the nurse squirted the gel on her stomach, taking the probe and running as she switched on the sound. After hearing nothing, his worse nightmare was starting to come true, "Why can't you hear a heartbeat?"_

 _"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."_

 _"I'm not leaving. That's my fucking sister, I am not leaving her alone." Josh stared angrily as he glared at her through foggy vision, seeing her nod her head behind him, he turned and found security, who grabbed and took him to a room next door to be checked out._

He came out of his thoughts when he heard someone's voice, seeing that it was Quinn, a fresh batch of tears began to cloud his vision.

"Josh." She whispered as she sat her clutch down before walking over to him, wrapping her arms around him as she began to tear up.

"She's fighting for her life because I couldn't protect her." Josh spoke through his tears as his balled his right hand into the sheets, crying out loudly, "I COULDN'T PROTECT HER."

Quinn closed her eyes as she just held him, trying her best to keep calm but was failing miserably. She had found out about what happened ten minutes after it did. The cops came up to the room and pulled Sam out, prompting her to follow to see what was going on. Once they told them that they were both shot, it like the world stopped. Now knowing that it was a chance your best friend, and her unborn baby wouldn't make it, was something she couldn't bear at the moment. Josh was slowly loosing it, but Sam had lost it.

Dwight leaned against the wall as he kept a close eye on his son. He was getting ready to get Arianna ready for bed when he got the phone call from a hysterical Quinn. Hearing what happened, he was in panic but he couldn't let it show because he didn't want to scare Ari. He called Tina and asked if they could come by and keep her and the girls while he went to the hospital. And here they were, waiting and still not knowing the status of Mercedes and the baby after two hours. He looked over when he saw the two detectives from earlier coming back in.

Quinn came out the room with Josh, holding onto his hand. The doctor had given him permission to go home but he didn't want to leave the hospital because of Mercedes. Seeing Sam and Dwight, she started to make her way over but stopped when Josh did.

"I'm not going over there with him, I can't." He said in a small voice as he stepped back, sniffling hard as he shook his head.

Quinn wiped her face as she looked at him. She was about to say something, but stopped when she heard them began to speak.

"Mr. Evans, I'm Detective Brinkley and this is my partner, Detective Sanders. We would like to speak to you if that's okay."

Sam didn't bother to look at them as his gaze stayed on the doors that led to the inside of the emergency room. Everything was going right until it wasn't. When they came and told him what had happened, he was in disbelief and thought this was all a bad dream.

Seeing that Sam wasn't going to reply, Dwight stepped in, "I'm his father, can you tell us what happened?"

"Yes sir." Detective Brinkley said as he glanced at Sam before his eyes went back to Dwight, "We have obtained security footage from the garage and caught what happened. The suspect had been waiting around there since the beginning of the gala. The man who was with your wife put up a good fight to get the gun away. We have also identified the suspect, and unfortunately, he escaped but we have cops on the ground searching for him."

"Who is it?"

Detective Sanders flipped his pad over and stared back at the two men, "Are you familiar with Noah Puckerman?"

"What?" Quinn whispered in anger as she bit the corner of her mouth, shaking her head. Her ex-husband was the cause and she couldn't fathom why he would do something like this.

Sam broke his gaze as the blood ran cold in his body, staring up at them with bloodshot red eyes, balling his fists as he stood up, "I'm going to kill him."

Dwight watched as Sam walked away, taking a deep breath as he gave them a pointed look, "You better find him before my son does, I'm not joking."

Detective Sanders watched as the man left and turned back to his partner, raising his brow, "Making a threat in front two cops, we should take him in, right?"

Detective Brinkley shook his head, "His wife and baby's lives are on the line, I would react the same way. I think we could come in agreement that we didn't hear a word he said and find the bastard who did this."

Sanders watched him turn and he followed behind him, taking a deep breath. He would hate to be in this predicament.

Dwight rounded the corner and found Sam leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, seeing how he was reacting, he knew that he was not in the right frame of mind. He wasn't going to say anything, because he didn't want to send him over the edge. He has seen Sam at his worst, but this definitely was beyond it. And it wasn't helping that nobody wasn't telling them anything.

"I can't lose them, dad." He whispered as he turned and look him, his eyes filling up with tears, "I can't."

Dwight went to stand beside him, wrapping his arms around the man as he pulled him in for a hug, trying to keep his own tears at bay as he felt Sam's shoulders start to shake. He didn't want to tell him it was going to be okay, because he didn't know how true that would be.

* * *

 _Someday you'll look back and know exactly why it had to happen._

Another hour passed, and everyone was really starting to worry. When they asked the nurse at the desk, she just told them that she didn't know anything, which is what she has been saying for the past few hours. Tina had called to checked in and to let Sam know that Ari was okay, and that she was fast asleep. The coaching staff had stopped by and asked the family if there was anything they could do. Since it was mostly Dwight doing the talking, he told them just to keep his family in their prayers and asked them to leave. He didn't want to come off as rude, but this was a time that they only needed to be surrounded by family.

Josh had thanked Quinn when she got him a bottle of water, popping the three pills in his mouth. He was in pain, and the nurse had brought him some medication since he hasn't filled his prescription yet. He was emotionally and physically drained. He couldn't stop the horrid memories from flashing through his mind. He was so worried about Mercedes and the baby, and on top of that, he knew Sam was pissed at him. He had a right to be. He made a promise like he always did to protect them, and he failed at that tonight.

Quinn ran her hand through her hair, sniffling hard as she stood up and went over to the nurses station, "What the hell is taking so long, huh?"

"Ma'am.."

"Don't ma'am me. Why don't you idiots know what's going on with MY BEST FRIEND?" She screamed the last part, pushing the paper trays off the counter and onto the woman's computer, alerting the security guards but the nurse just waved them off, letting them know it was okay.

Dwight stood up from his seat and went over to her, grabbing her by her hand as he spoke low, "Quinn, come on.."

"No, no, Mr. Dwight..it's not o-okay." She cried out as she stared at him with glossy eyes, feeling her hand shake as she pointed to the doors, "Mercedes could be dead and we don't know because these bitches won't tell us anything."

Dwight pulled the young woman into a hug, her sobs breaking out as she cried into his shoulder.

Josh closed his eyes as he listened to Quinn cry. She was hurting bad, hell they all were. They just needed to know how Mercedes was doing.

Dwight rubbed Quinn's back, pulling her towards the seats so they could sit down. He was trying to be strong for everyone, but it was only so much he could take. Trying to see the bright side to all of this, but having a hard time continuing to do just that.

The doctor pushed the door opened with a chart in his hand, looking out in the waiting room. He took a deep breath as he approached the four distraught individuals, "Mercedes Evans family?"

Sam rose out of his chair quickly when he saw the man in scrubs, coming to stand in front of him, "Y-Yes?"

"My name is Dr. Rayford and I preformed the surgery on Mercedes." He paused as his eyes darted to everyone but landed on Sam knowingly, "You are her husband, right?"

"Yes."

"I need to speak with you privately, so come with me." He said as he gave them a nod before walking away.

Sam gave his dad a look before following behind the man, seeing that he was taking him to a hallway, he stopped when he did, and began to panic, "What's going on?"

"Mr. Evans, your wife is okay." Dr. Rayford watched the young man close his eyes and nod his head, releasing a stressful breath, "She was real lucky. The bullet inserted on the right side of her abdomen."

Sam let out a shaky breath, thanking God that Mercedes was alive, but he was really scared to hear the answer to his next question, "And our b-baby?"

"In all my years of being in this profession, I have seen a lot of things, but I haven't seen many miracles." Dr. Rayford stared at the man intently with a blank face before he nodded, "Your baby is a miracle. She went completely unharmed, when I mean completely, I mean it. Thankfully, she was balled up on the left side, but in reality, that doesn't even matter, because any trauma to the pregnant stomach is never good. But like I said, it's a miracle..she's a miracle."

Sam felt the stress and worry immediately starting to leave his body as he began to cry. They were both okay, and he was so happy. He looked back up at the man and gave him a watery smile, "Thank you for saving my girls, thank you. Can I please see my wife?"

"Of course, come on." He gave him a smile as he patted his shoulder before leading towards the room. Once they got in front of the door, he spoke before he left, "I'll let your family know."

"Thank you." He said as he pushed the door open, closing it behind him when he stepped in. He saw her laying in the bed and went over to her in two swift movements, seeing that she was fast asleep. He leaned down and pressed a long, lingering kiss to her forehead.

Mercedes shifted a bit when she felt a familiar pair of lips on her head, opening her eyes slowly, her vision was blurry at first but it cleared as she focused on who it was. Seeing her husband, tears immediately began to fill in her eyes as she spoke out hoarsely, "T-The baby.."

"She's okay." Sam smiled as he looked down at her, caressing her cheeks lovingly.

Mercedes thanked the heavens above that their baby was okay. Hearing Sam say _she_ , caused her heart to flip, "It's a girl?"

Sam nodded as he watched her face began to crumble, taking his hands and wiping the tears from her face, "You're both fine, baby."

"And Josh?"

"He's good."

Mercedes sniffled as she gazed up at him, grabbing ahold of his hand, "I know you, Sam, and you don't need to be mad at him. Josh did everything he could do to protect me, everything. It's not his fault."

"I know that."

"Do you really?"

Sam tore his eyes away from her, shaking his head as he picked her hand up and placed a kiss on top, "Let's not talk about this. You need to get some rest."

Mercedes sighed at him trying to ignore her question, playing with his fingers as she thought about what she was about to tell him next, "I spoke to my mom."

Sam raised his eyes and looked at her in shock, "Really?"

"It's not my first time. I spoke to her before our wedding in a dream, but this one happened while I was unconscious. We talked, for what felt like hours and it felt so amazing. In all honestly, I didn't want to leave, but she told me I had too. It wasn't my time to be with her yet. She said I had to be with you, Ari and our baby. That's when I realized I had to make it through. I couldn't stay because I love you all too much."

Sam placed a kiss to her forehead, then both of her cheeks, lastly her lips, "I love you."

"I love you, more." She whispered as she closed her eyes, letting out a yawn as she laid back on the pillows.

Sam watched as she fell back to sleep, pulling a chair beside the bed, he sat down and continued to hold her hand.

 _Those we love don't go away, they walk beside us everyday. Unseen, unheard but always near. Still loved, still missed and held so dear._

* * *

 **A/N. Love you guys, xo!**


	34. How To Get Away With Murder

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

Mercedes sat up in the bed as the nurse did a check up. She has been in the hospital for four days and was so ready to go, but the doctor wanted to keep her another night for observation. He told her he just wanted to be cautious and on the safe side. She was missing her little girl like crazy. She didn't want Ari to see her like she was, so she had ask Tina and Mike if they could keep her until she got home. They FaceTimed every evening after daycare and the last time they did, it broke her heart because she was crying and calling out for her. Sam had left last night, due to the fact that he had wanted to check on her, but hasn't came back yet. She knew what he was up to, and she knew that once he got in that mind set, there was no changing it. All she could do was pray he didn't do anything he was going to regret. On the other hand, she was sad because she hasn't seen Josh and he has been ignoring her calls and texts. Quinn had told her that he was really taking this hard and that he had went back to his apartment once they found out she was okay. She didn't want him to feel like it was his fault because it wasn't.

"Alright, love. Everything looks great and little miss is doing good too." The nurse said as she sent the woman a smile, "You need anything?"

Mercedes shook her head and gave her a small smile of her own, "I'm fine, thank you."

"Just pressed the button if you do." She said before she grabbed her chart and walked out the room.

Mercedes sighed as she picked up her phone, seeing that she had a text from Sam, letting her know that he'll be back later on today. Hearing a knock on the door, following by it opening, she let out a smile when she saw who it was, "Hi."

"Hey sweetheart." Dwight smiled as he came into the room, lifting up the bag in his hand, "I brought you something better than this hospital food."

"Yay." Mercedes giggled as she clapped her hands together, watching as he placed the bag on the tray in front of her, "Thank you dad. Me and baby are in agreement that this food is not pleasing." She pulled the container out and saw that it was a big bowl of spaghetti, specially made by Daddy Dwight.

Dwight sat down on the couch beside the bed, watching his daughter closely as she grabbed the fork from the bag, "How are you feeling?"

"To be honest, I'm hurting physically, emotionally, and mentally." She spoke truthfully as she twirled some of the pasta on the fork and stuck it in her mouth, "I can't believe this happened."

"I know, kid." He sighed as he sat up on the couch, folding his hands, "Mercedes, you know that you need to go see a therapist for this. You didn't when that incident happened back in Tampa, but because I care a lot about you, I'm telling you that you need to go. The doctor here can probably recommend you to someone good."

Mercedes listened to what he was saying and nodded, her eyes moving to his as she spoke lowly, "I should've saw someone after it happened. I did have a nightmares for awhile, but they stopped. I really thought I was okay."

"A lot of people do believe they are when they go through traumatic events." Dwight stated as he stared at her closely, "You don't have to go through this alone. We are here for you, you know that."

"I know." Mercedes said as she rubbed her stomach, glancing over at him, "Thank you for being the dad I never had. You actually care, and I'm so grateful to have you in my life."

Dwight gave her a sad smile as he stood up, leaning down to place a kiss to her forehead, "I love you, sweetheart."

"I love you, too." She said sincerely as she watched him sit back down. She went back to her food and began to eat, letting their conversation weigh on her mind.

Dwight looked down at his phone when it buzzed, seeing the alert come across his screen. His eyes went wide as he stood up, placing his hand over his mouth, "Oh no.."

Mercedes stared at him confusedly, "What's wrong?" When he didn't answer her, she started to panic. Hearing her own device dinged, she sat her fork back on the bowl and picked it up, reading what was her phone screen, causing her to gasp loudly.

 _Breaking News: Ex-NFL player, Noah Puckerman, has been found dead._

Mercedes stared at the headline for what felt like forever until she snapped out of it. Unlocking her phone, she dialed her husband's number, desperately hoping he would pick up.

 _Hey, you've reached Sam. Sorry I missed your call, but leave your name and number, and I'll try to get back to ya._

* * *

12 hours earlier...

Sam laid back on the small couch in Austin's room and smiled up at Ari, who was yawning while playing with his necklace. She had been staying with Mike and Tina while he and his dad were at the hospital with Mercedes. He had missed her so much, and in this moment, he wanted nothing more than to stay with her but he had to handle something. So much has transpired in the past couple of days, he was losing it. So many emotions were running through him, and he couldn't control them. He could've lost his wife and baby, and because of what? He came out of his thoughts when he heard a small voice, staring into the brown eyes of his daughter.

Ari placed her small hands on his face, her eyes staring into his, "Mama."

"I know baby, mommy will be home soon." He saw the tears in her eyes and it immediately broke his heart. His daughter wasn't even two, yet she understood that something was wrong. He took his thumbs and wiped underneath her eyes, watching as she laid her head down on his chest. He pressed a kiss to her forehead as he rubbed her back, closing his eyes as he hummed her to sleep.

Mike leaned against the doorframe and watched the father and daughter, seeing that she had fallen to sleep, he watched Sam stand up and place her in the bed. He tucked her in and pressed a kiss to her cheek, before lifting back up. He saw the look on his face and couldn't help but be worried. But one thing he did know, when Sam was in this state, you didn't try to get him out of it. Not that he didn't want to, he just couldn't.

"Take care of my baby, Mike." Sam said as he walked passed the man and down the stairs, leaving one of his best friends standing there looking after him. Once he got into his truck, he looked down at the address on his phone before cranking up. Pulling out of the driveway, he turned and headed to his twenty minute secret location. On the way, his thoughts led to everything that had happened this week. His wife, baby, and his best friend could've died at the hands of that bastard who he couldn't believe he once called a friend. He wasn't going to worry about it, because his time was coming. Turning into the alley, he slowed down before parking his truck. Cutting the engine, he opened the door and got out, seeing the man leaned against his car waiting for him.

The unknown man pulled the cigarette from out of his mouth, blowing the smoke as he walked up, "As I live and breathe, can't believe Sam Evans is standing in front of me."

Sam face was hard as he stared at him, "Do you have it or not?"

"Right to business." He said as he turned and popped his trunk, lifting it up, "I have a wide variety, but I put something aside for you."

Sam scanned the items in the trunk and watched as he picked up one and handed it to him, "It's untraceable, right?"

"Of course." He watched him scan the gun, prompting him to tell what it was, "Smith and Wesson M&P 40. In my opinion, it's just what you need."

"Then I'll take it." He said not taking his eyes off the weapon before he pulled his wallet from his pocket, grabbing five hundred dollars bills and handing it to him before walking away.

"Nice doing business with you." He called after him as he got back into his truck and drove off. Pulling his phone from out of his pocket, he dialed a number before placing it to his ear.

"What's up?"

"The guy is Sam Evans, right?"

"Yes, what's wrong?"

"We just made a transaction and he's on a move."

* * *

6 hours earlier...

Josh pushed the door opened with his shoulder to his bathroom, turning to water on as he stared down and washed the fresh blood from his hands. He didn't know how his life had turned into this. Wait, yes he did. This shit all started four days ago, when that son of a bitch tried to kill them. He was so livid, not only at him for what he did, but himself. He should've protected Mercedes more. He put her and her baby life on the line because he didn't do his job. Turning off the water, he looked in the mirror and hardly recognize himself. Since the shooting, he hasn't even been the same person. He hasn't been sleeping, barely ate, but the only thing he has been doing is drinking. A habit he wished had never came back, but at this moment, he couldn't even think about that. Tonight, he had did something unforgivable. Failing to hear his front door opened, he dried off his hands and started the process of wrapping them up.

Quinn opened the door with the spare key that was on top of the doorframe, pushing it closed when she got in. She sat down on the couch, taking a deep breath as she laid her head back. She had just dropped the girls off with Tina for a few hours, due to everything going on, she wanted to keep her girls safe, so school wasn't an option right now. This has seriously been the worst couple of days of her life. She was so emotionally drained, she didn't know what to do. The thought of losing her best friend did something to her, and like Josh, she was starting to feel like this was her fault. None of this would've ever happened if she hadn't sprung her problems on them. He was here because of her, and they were both shot because of her. But Mercedes being Mercedes, she told her that it wasn't her fault when she visited with her the other morning.

Josh finished up just as his phone rang, looking at it on the counter, he silenced it when he saw that it was Mercedes again. He has been ignoring her calls and texts for days. He couldn't bring himself to talk to her. Stepping out into the his hallway, he was headed towards the kitchen but stopped abruptly when he saw Quinn, "What are you doing here?"

Quinn turned her head when she heard his voice, raising up from the couch, "I was worried about you."

"I'm fine."

"Save that lie for someone else." Quinn said as she went to him, catching a glance of his hands, she gasped, "What happened?"

"Nothing, Quinn." He said calmly as he let out a sigh, "Can you please leave?"

Quinn stared up at him and noticed that blank look in his eyes, frowning slightly as she stepped forwards, "Josh, I swear to you.." She stopped when she heard heavy knocks on the door.

Josh glanced at the door before taking a deep breath, heading over with Quinn right on his heels. He opened the door and found two uniformed cops on the outside.

"Joshua Hendrix?"

"Yeah.."

"We're going to need you to come with us down to the station for questioning."

Quinn frowned as she looked at them, crossing her arms over her chest, "What for?"

"Murder investigation."

Quinn's eyes went wide in disbelief, "What? He didn't murder anyone, this is a mistake."

"We didn't say he did ma'am, we just need him to come down for questioning." One of the officers said as his eyes went back to Josh, "Sir."

"It's okay, Quinn. Stay here." Josh said without looking at her, stepping outside of his apartment as he walked in front of the two officers.

Quinn shook her head as she ran her hands through her hair. She had an eerie feeling in the pit of her stomach that this had something to do with her ex-husband.

* * *

Sam stared at the video camera that was recording on the table, hearing the door open and close. He has been sitting in this same position for who knows how long. He wanted nothing more but to call his wife and let her know that he was fine, but he couldn't. Watching as the man sat a sandwich and drink in front of him, he lifted his head and looked at him.

"I've contacted your father to let him know what is going on." Detective Brinkley pulled the chair out and sat down, leaning back and crossing his arms. Taking in his silence, he rubbed his fingers against his forehead, "Help yourself out here, Sam because it's not looking good."

Sam stared at him for a moment before taking his eyes and looking towards the door when it opened.

"Detective, I'm Larson Gibbs and we're done here. You have no evidence against my client doing this crime, released him now." The woman said as she sat her briefcase down and stood beside Sam.

"Mrs. Gibbs, your client has a clear motive, we found an unregistered gun in his truck, he threatened to kill this man at the hospital in front of my partner and I, and he has no alibi." He said as he looked at them before holding out his arms, "I want to help, but I can't if he's not willing to talk."

Larson pursed her lips as she glared at him, "From my understanding, you also have Mr. Hendrix in custody."

"I do."

"You will not speak to him without me. I'm representing him as well."

When they mentioned the fact that Josh was in here too, Sam shook his head, deciding to speak for the first time since being brought here, "Josh had nothing to do with this."

"Oh yeah? How about you? We're running ballistics on that gun we found in your truck. If it comes back a match, you're in a world of trouble."

Sam rolled his jaw as he sat back in his chair, looking up Larson before turning to the detective, "Not going to lie, I'm glad he's dead, but I didn't kill the son of a bitch."

Detective Brinkley was getting frustrated by the moment, standing up when he heard a knock on this glass, "I'll be back." He headed out the room and found his partner on standing there waiting, "How did it go in there?"

"Got nothing. Tried to question the wraps on his hands, mouth stayed closed. Didn't turn on his best friend, though. Denied any involvement." Detective Sanders spoke as he let out a sigh, "Someone is lying, because a man just don't come up dead. They either know what happened and is trying to cover up, or they really are innocent."

Detective Brinkley took a deep breath as he ran his hands down his face, hearing someone clear their throat, he found a brown skinned man looking at them, "Can I help you with something?"

"Yes, I believe you have two of my friends here, who you are falsely accusing of murder." He said as he walked up, holding a disc in hand, "An alibi for both Sam Evans and Joshua Hendrix. The two were with me at one of bars having a drink. Here's the evidence, untampered with, and timestamps included."

Detective Sanders glanced over at his partner as he grabbed the disc, following behind him as he placed in the tv in the hall and sure enough, the two men were sitting at the bar for hours, which included the time frame that Puckerman was killed.

"They needed to take a load off because of the stressful week. You have the wrong men, and it would be a great idea if you release them."

An officer came up next to the man and handed him the paper, "Sir, ballistics came back. The gun found in Evans truck is no match."

"I think we're done here." Larson said once she came out just in time to hear everything, looking at Sam, she jerked her head for him to get up while she went across the hall to do the same to Josh. The woman smiled as she looked at them, "Have a nice day, detectives."

Josh came out the room and stopped when he saw Sam, taking a calming breath as tears instantly began to fill in his eyes, "I'm sorry I couldn't protect her."

Sam walked over to him and wrapped him into a hug, closing his eyes as he listened to him cry, "You did, Josh and because you did, she's alive..they both are." He said as he hugged him tight, feeling his own tears starting to form. He meant it when he said he wasn't mad at Josh. He did everything he could to protect their family, how could he be mad at his best friend for that?, "Let's get out of here."

Josh nodded against his shoulder as he stood back, wiping his face. They turned down the hall and made their way out the precinct, seeing Larson talking to a familiar face.

"You might want to leave, miss. I don't think you need to hear this." The man said as he walked up to where Sam and Josh were. She gave him a look before she picked up her briefcase and left, waiting until he didn't see her before he turned to them, "You guys good?"

"Yeah, but I'm so confused about everything."

"Your alibi was a video of you two at my bar a couple weeks ago, I just changed the time stamps. I knew that you where close to finding him Sam, and I knew that Josh was too. I had to intervene before you two did something stupid. Sam, I told you awhile back that you were like a little brother to me. You would go through great lengths to protect your family. I know your mindset after what happened four days ago. You were out for revenge and in that moment, you were not yourself. You know I'm well connected around here, and when it got back to me that you brought a gun, I knew I had to step in. You clearly wasn't yourself, because you would always think of your daughter before anything. And not only that, you have a conscious, the people who did this don't. If you would've done this, this would've haunted you for the rest of your life. I feel bad for his kids, but let's be real, they deserve better." Demarcus said as he stared at the man, seeing him avoid his gaze, "Go home, clean up, get some sleep, eat, start going therapy, and continue to live a happy life."

Josh and Sam watched as he gave them one final look before walking away, the both of them releasing a breath they've been holding in. Sam turned to Josh and glanced at his hands, "What happened?"

"Let's not talk about it right now, I just want to go home."

"Your real home." Sam said as he watched as his eyes met his, sighing as he shook his head, "After everything, I just want my brother to be back home with us."

Josh nodded as more tears clouded his vision. After everything they have been through, he wanted nothing more than to go back home.

* * *

 **A/N. Yeah, that's kind of escalated quickly. If you don't remember who Demarcus is, go back to CHP. 24. Let me know your thoughts, and I promise the happy times are coming back soon!**


	35. The Start Of Healing

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE MENTION.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

Dwight leaned back on the couch with his arms folded, looking between the two men. After what felt like hours, he got a call from his son letting him know that he was released and that him and Josh were headed home. Relaying the message to Mercedes, the young woman finally let some of her worry out but she was beyond pissed with reason. Thankfully, his ex-wife had made it in and she said that she wanted to sit with her until they signed her papers so she could leave. Now, here he was at the house, staring between the two men, "For one, what the hell were you thinking? Two, if you didn't do this, where were you during that time? Three, what happened to your hands, Josh?"

Sam avoided his father's gaze as he rubbed his hands together nervously, "I was at the beach."

"Cut the bullshit, son."

"I was, I swear." Sam said as he looked up at the man, licking his lips before he began to talk, "I was thinking of all the spots he could've been, and I remember how he said that whenever he came to LA, the beach was his getaway. For hours I searched down the shorelines, and in buildings along the way, but I got nothing. I was so angry, and amped up, I wanted nothing but to find him but I couldn't, so I just gave up. I headed home around five, took a shower and everything so I could come back to the hospital. Next thing I know, cops were at the door telling me that I needed to come with them."

Dwight stared at him for a moment to try to see if he was telling the truth or not, and when he saw that he was, his eyes turned to the quiet one, "Josh.."

"I was at home until I woke up out of my sleep around five. I got up and went to a liquor store, brought a bottle and sat on the patio of one of the restaurants on the beach. I was out of it, hoping that I could get rid of my guilt. I thought I saw him. I called out his name, he turned around and broke out in a sprint. I ran as fast I could, turning down an alley way but he wasn't there." Josh said as he stared at the ground, shaking his head, "I was so drunk and mad at myself that I punched the brick wall with both of my hands, hoping that hurting myself would eliminate all the pain and hurt. I was wrong. After that, I went home to wash my hands, next thing I know, the cops showed up. I swear that is the truth."

"Where does Demarcus fit in all of this? How did he know what was going on?"

Sam shrugged his shoulders, "That's something we still can't figure out, and I guess we never will. All I know is that he really did come through for both of us, and I'll forever be grateful."

Dwight took a deep breath as he tried to process everything that they said. It was definitely a lot to take in, but he was relieved that they told him where they were, "Y'all are going to see a therapist, already have an appointment set for Friday. Whether you realize it or not, this has definitely had an unhealthy negative effect on you. Call into work, and take some time off. This is not me asking you to, I'm telling you." He watched as the two nodded their heads, causing him to stand up, "Tina will be here soon to drop off Ari. I'm going back to the hospital to pick up Mercedes."

Sam watched as he walked out the room and he turned to Josh, "I guess we need to do what he says."

"Yeah." Josh sighed as he pulled out his phone, so he could call his boss. Dwight was right about everything, and he knew that the older man meant well.

* * *

With the help of Mary, Mercedes had gotten dressed and was now waiting on the nurse to bring the wheelchair. She was so relived to be going home, and after what has happened the last couple of days and last night, seeing her little girl was the only thing on her mind.

Quinn took a calming breath as she stood outside of the door. It's been an unbelievable week, and she was truly at a lost. Her ex-husband and children's father was dead. She was trying to come to terms with that, all while making some hasty decisions. Opening the door, she saw her best friend sitting on the bed as she came in, "Hey."

"Hey." Mercedes said as she stared at her. She was honestly trying to gauge how Quinn was taking all of this but she was drawing a blank. Her behavior left her confused, and worried, "How are the girls?"

"Bethany still doesn't quite understand, but Bailee does and she hasn't stopped crying. I asked Mary if she could keep them in the waiting room while I talked to you." She said as she took a seat, moving her hair from out of her face as she looked at her, "I'm not going to lie, I thought Sam or Josh did this, I really did."

Mercedes nodded her head as she let out a sigh, "You and me both..more Sam than Josh though."

Quinn took her eyes off of her and stared at her hands, "They called and asked for me to come confirm the body. When I did, the man gave me the full autopsy report. He wasn't murdered, the bastard killed himself."

Mercedes wasn't surprised by that because it had already been revealed in the news this morning. It was kind of a relief to her, because now she knew for sure that her husband and his best friend had no involvement.

"He was selfish. Couldn't turn himself in, had to take the cowardly way out. This will forever mess my kids up." Quinn said as she wiped the tears that had fallen. In no way she was crying over Puck, but at the fact that her girls will now never have a father.

Mercedes heart went out to Quinn and her girls, it really did. No matter how she tried to deny it, she knew that a little part of her best friend was sad that he was gone, "Everything's going to be okay Quinn, you and the girls will get through this."

Quinn nodded as she sniffled, raising her eyes to look back at her, "I've decided that for now, we should move back to Ohio with my parents. We need some time away from here, and I think it's best."

Mercedes was shocked at her decision, opening and closing her mouth repeatedly before words finally formed, "Wait, you're leaving? But Q, what about your job? The house you just brought?"

"Doesn't matter at this point, Mercedes. Our flight leaves in three hours, I pulled the girls out their school this morning, I have already told my boss my decision, and I'm going to keep the house until I decide if I want to come back or not."

"What about Josh?"

Quinn swallowed the lump in her throat as she stood up, crossing her arms, "I sent him a text, letting him know that this is not the right time for us to be in a relationship."

Mercedes stared at her in disbelief, "Wow Quinn, he didn't deserve to get broken up with through a text."

"That's not your decision." She snapped, catching her friend off guard as she watched her clamp her mouth shut. Before she could say anything else, the door was opening, showcasing the nurse coming in with Dwight.

"Alright Ms. Mercedes, both of your rides are here. I know you're so anxious to get home." The nurse said with a smile as she placed the wheelchair by the bed.

Mercedes sent her a warm smile as she helped her out the bed and into the chair, while Dwight got her things for her.

Quinn tucked her hair behind her ears, staring down at her for a moment before walking out. She left without her and the girls saying goodbye to anyone.

Dwight felt the tension between the two women when he came in the room, and he watched as Quinn left out without a word being said, "What happened?"

"She's going back to Ohio." Mercedes answered as she glanced up at him and shrugged.

Dwight shook his head as he placed Mercedes' bag on his shoulder. If it wasn't one thing, it was another, "Let's get you home."

"Yes, please." Mercedes leaned back into the chair, while the nurse grabbed onto the handles and pushed her out the room. They were taking an alternate route because Dwight didn't want to take any chance of the paps trying to get a picture of her. Once they got into the elevator and down on the floor that led to the back of the hospital, she saw that the car was already pulled up to the door. Mercedes let them help her in, while giving the nurse a hug. She had been with her since that night and she appreciated her for everything. Buckling up, she laid her head back onto the seat and closed her eyes as she listened to the car start up. She was so ready to get home.

* * *

Sam had spent the afternoon cleaning, trying to take his mind off things for the moment. He had did exactly what his father told him to by taking off of work. His boss had told him to take as much time as he needed, and they'll see him when he get back. On the other hand, he was still so confused about this murder turned suicide. He couldn't believe that he had taken his own life. If he did, then what exactly did Demarcus do? Shaking his head, he wasn't about to stress over it. What was done, was done. He raised his eyes and saw that Ari was sitting in the living room beside Josh on the couch watching Paw Patrol. The last thing Josh needed right now was anymore bad news to break him, and it did when he showed him the text Quinn sent. He couldn't believe that she would up and leave like that without saying goodbye. He also knew that this was hurting Josh, and hopefully, this wouldn't push him over the edge. Hearing the front door open, he put the towel down and headed towards the foyer. Seeing his mom come in, he walked over to her and gave her a hug. Their relationship has gotten so much better since Thanksgiving and he was honestly happy that she was here.

Mary hugged him back before placing a kiss to his cheek, "I'm glad you're okay."

"Me too." He replied as he felt her let go, seeing his dad come in with Mercedes by his side. He saw that she was still in a little pain as she stepped up on the step, causing him to go over and help.

Mercedes blew out a harsh breath once she got into the house, looking at Dwight and Sam, "Thank you." She got out just before her husband hugged her, causing her to wrap her arms around him. She laid her head down on her chest as she held onto him tightly, not really wanting to let go but she did. Staring up at him, she took her hand and slapped his across his face, causing his parents to give their son a knowing look, "That's for having me scared to death when you didn't pick up your phone, and buying a damn gun, Sam." She pushed him with the little taste of strength she had, trying her best not to break out in tears but was failing miserably, "Y-You know how I feel about that.."

The pain for the week was nothing compared to the slap to his face. Sam knew that she had been worried and he hated that he put that extra stress on her. He wasn't in his right frame of mind when all this was going on, and he regret scaring her like he did. He wanted to go back and console her but he didn't. He just leaned forward and kissed her cheek, mumbling his love for her. He turned around quickly when he heard a scream, letting a smile come spread on his lips when he saw it was their daughter running up to her with a smile.

"Mommy!"

Mercedes wiped her face as she smiled, bending down despite the pain to pick up the awaiting open arms, "My baby." She felt the tears immediately fall from her eyes when her small arms went around her neck. She swayed her from side to side, pressing a kiss to her head. Her emotions were hitting her like a ton of bricks. She thanked the heavens above that she made it through, because if she didn't, this is was she was going to be leaving behind and just the thought of that made her so emotional, "I-I love you so, so much.

Mary rubbed Sam's shoulder once she saw that he was beginning to cry, "I'm going to start on dinner."

"I'll help." Dwight spoke up, deciding to give the family some alone time.

Josh had followed behind Ari when she jumped off the couch, and ran when she heard her mother's voice. Leaning against the doorframe, he watched the interaction between the two and couldn't help but smile.

Mercedes pulled back and pressed kisses across her face, causing her to squeal out. She smiled as she held onto her, spotting Josh in the corner.

Sam turned his head to see who she was staring at and found Josh, clearing his throat, he picked Ari from her arms, "Come on Cookie, lets go make mommy a comfortable spot on the couch."

Josh stepped forward as the two passed him, chewing on his bottom lip as he stared at her. Feeling tears immediately come to his eyes, he looked down and shook his head, "I'm sorry."

"Josh.." She started as she walked over to stand in front of him, grabbing ahold of his hands carefully after spotting they were wrapped up, "You did everything you could to prevent me from getting hurt, this is not your fault. I want you to get that through your head. I know why you didn't call me back and I know where you were." She let go of his hands and wiped the tears from his face, staring into his eyes as she gripped his face with her hand a little too tight, making him look at her, "Binge drinking isn't going to solve anything. It's only going to make it worse. And if you keep doing it, I don't want you around me or my kids. You hear me?"

Josh could hear disappointment in her voice and see it in her eyes, and he couldn't blame her. He didn't know what he would do without them and he knew that he needed to stop turning to the bottle whenever things got rough. Nodding his head, he felt more tears stream down his face as he spoke lowly, "Yes."

Mercedes let her angry features falter as she dropped her hand, leaning over to hug him tightly, "I love you, Josh and I don't want you to think I'm trying to beat you while you're down because I'm not. We got to be here for each other, through the good and bad. We don't need to shut each other out either, because at the end of the day, we are all we have."

Josh nodded as he placed his forehead on her shoulder and hugged her back, "I know, and you're right about everything. You know how much y'all mean to me, and I would never want to do anything to ruin it."

Mercedes patted his back before pulling back, seeing the obvious hurt in his eyes from something else, "We're going to take this day by day together, as a family. I would really love it if you'd move back in with us, but only if you want too."

"I've already paid this month and next month's rent. I just have to go back and pack up my things."

"We can help this weekend." Mercedes offered, smiling when he nodded. She gave him another hug before letting go. Peeping into the living room, she smiled when she saw Ari holding a pillow twice her size, walking over to where her father was. Tomorrow, they began their process of healing and she couldn't wait.

* * *

 **A/N. Let's talk. Dwight is seriously the best father in the world. I don't know what we'd do without him. What he told Sam and Josh is nothing but the truth. / How do y'all feel about Quinn's decisions? Do you think she had right to snap at Mercedes a bit? / We are definitely going to get more of Sam and Mary. Y'all should've seen Mercedes slapping Sam coming tbh, but she did have a right, and for what she had to say to Josh too. And before anyone bash Mercedes for telling someone they shouldn't drink, she's talking about obsessive binge drinking. Let me clarify that now because I know how some of y'all get. / Last but most certainly not least, Ari reaction to seeing her mother. It was the cutest thing ever, oh my god. / Let me know your thoughts on this chapter, and yes, back to back updates means it's hiatus time! When we come back, we will see them in therapy, and there will be another time jump. :)**


	36. Happiness Is The Key

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE MENTION.**

 **Meredith Davis- Maia Moss-Fife**

 **Virginia Dupree- Michelle DeFraites**

 **Happy-Leona Lewis**

* * *

 _Someone once told me that you have to choose_

 _What you win or lose_

 _You can't have everything_

 _Don't you take chances_

 _Might feel the pain_

 _Don't you love in vain_

 _Cause love won't set you free_

 _I can't stand by the side_

 _And watch this life pass me by_

 _So unhappy_

 _But safe as could be_

 _So what if it hurts me?_

 _So what if I break down?_

 _So what if this world just throws me off the edge_

 _My feet run out of ground_

 _I gotta find my place_

 _I wanna hear my sound_

 _Don't care about all the pain in front of me_

 _Cause i'm just trying to be happy, yeah_

 _Just wanna be happy, yeah_

 _Holding on tightly_

 _Just can't let it go_

 _Just trying to play my role_

 _Slowly disappear, ohh_

 _But all these days, they feel like they're the same_

 _Just different faces, different names_

 _Get me out of here_

 _I can't stand by your side, ohh no_

 _And watch this life pass me by, pass me by_

 _So what if it hurts me?_

 _So what if I break down?_

 _So what if this world just throws me off the edge_

 _My feet run out of ground_

 _I gotta find my place_

 _I wanna hear my sound_

 _Don't care about all the pain in front of me_

 _Cause i'm just trying to be happy, ohh, happy, ohh_

 _So any turns that I can't see,_

 _like I'm a stranger on this road_

 _But don't say victim_

 _Don't say anything_

 _So what if it hurts me?_

 _So what if I break down?_

 _So what if this world just throws me off the edge_

 _My feet run out of ground_

 _I gotta find my place_

 _I wanna hear my sound_

 _Don't care about all the pain in front of me_

 _I just wanna be happy_

 _Ohh, yeah, happy, ohh, happy_

 _I just wanna be, ohh_

 _I just wanna be happy_

 _Ohh, happy_

Mercedes hummed out as the last line as her hands stopped playing the keys, sighing, she stood up slowly and turned around, looking at the woman in front of her.

"Your voice is beautiful."

"Thank you."

The woman fixed her glasses as she picked her notepad up, "Is that how you feel?"

"Well, I did..at one point in my life, I didn't know who I was or what I wanted to be. I always questioned myself and my worth." Mercedes explained as she tucked her hair behind her ears before placing her hands on her stomach, "I know it started years after my mom died. My whole relationship with my father changed for the worse. I always wondered if I would get the happiness I deserve."

Today marked Mercedes fourth session with Dr. Meredith Davis. Every since the incident two months ago, she has been seeing her twice a month and it has been helping her tremendously. She had to admit that the first visit she was nervous but Dr. Davis eased them into. The first month, they got to know one another before she just dived into her life. One thing she loved about her was the fact that they didn't have to meet in her office. They could have their sessions wherever Mercedes was comfortable at. Since her doctor cleared her for work a few weeks ago, today they were having their session in her office during her lunch break.

"You know I don't want to get into anything about your parents at this particular moment, and I have a reason for that." The therapist said as she sat up in the chair, "How have you been since the shooting?"

"I am being honest with you when I say it doesn't bother me. I'm glad he's dead, and yes, I feel bad for Bailee and Bethany but he tried to kill me. My daughter could've not only lost her mother, but her sibling as well. So, because I feel that way, does that make me a bad person?"

"In my professional and personal opinion, it doesn't make you a bad person at all. It's normal for any person to feel this way after going through a traumatic event." Dr. Davis said as she stared at the young woman in front of her, "Take me back to how you felt two years ago."

"I was scared, so scared. If Sam hadn't came back and our dog wasn't able to break out of our backyard, there's no telling what he would've done." Mercedes played with her hands as she sat down, sighing, "I felt so stupid for not seeing the signs."

"You weren't stupid, you just always see the good in people. You couldn't have known he was going to turn out the way he did." Dr. Davis wrote down some notes in her pad before speaking again, "Have you forgiven him?"

"You know, that's funny you should ask that because it seems like every person that has hurt me or at least tried to hurt me, I always forgive them. Like with him, Santana, and the people who always have something negative to say about Sam and I's relationship." Mercedes rubbed her belly as she stared at her, "But like with the person in the situation that just happened, and with Michael, I can't see myself ever forgiving them."

Dr. Davis nodded her head but didn't say anything for a moment, closing the cap down on her pen, "Have you spoken to Quinn?"

"Not since that day she left to hospital. I didn't know she made it home until her mom ended up texting me."

"How does that make you feel?"

"At first I was sad, and angry. I just didn't understand why my best friend was shutting me out. But now.." Mercedes shrugged as she looked down at her stomach, "I just let it go because I don't care anymore. I can't and won't be stressed because it isn't good for me or my little girl."

"Honest truth, how do you feel right now?"

"I feel better for getting this off of my chest. Seeing you has been really helping me in more ways than one and I'm thankful."

Dr. Davis smiled as she leaned forward and patted her hand, "I'm going to leave you with this quote. The key to being happy is knowing you have the power to choose what to accept and what to let go." She placed her things in the bag and stood up, standing in front of her, "I'll see you next week at four."

Mercedes nodded as she stood up as well, "Thank you, Dr. Davis."

"No problem, sweetheart." She gave her shoulder a squeeze before turning on her heels and heading out of her office.

Mercedes took her shoes off before sitting down, lifting her legs on the couch just as she heard a knock on her door, "Come in."

Virginia opened the door and gave an apologetic look, "Um, so sorry for interrupting Mrs. Evans."

"It's fine, what's up?"

"I just wanted to let you know that your husband called and he had me rescheduled your whole schedule for today and tomorrow." Virginia played with her hands nervously, "He told me to not tell you but you're my boss, so.."

Mercedes sent her new assistant a smile as she shook her head, "It's fine, Virginia. I'll give him this one, but please ignore any request he orders in the future."

Virginia let out a short laugh as she nodded her head, "Yes ma'am, but since he did ask so nicely and was concerned because you can't be stress with the baby.."

"It's okay to say he kindly forced you, Virginia." Mercedes said knowingly, seeing the young woman nod her in agreement before she continued to speak.

"I did request for all your meetings to be through via Skype for the remainder of your pregnancy and they all agreed."

"Thank you. Seriously, you have been such a tremendous help to me since you've been hired. I sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart."

"Thank you for giving me this opportunity. It's been awhile since I've been happy doing something I love to do." Mercedes had hired Virginia back in February. When the job was first posted, her application and resumé was the first one in. She had graduated college a year ago and has been unemployed since then. She was hard out of luck on life until she saw this opportunity. It was the best thing that has happened to her in long and she was thankful.

Mercedes smiled at her before her eyes went to the door, sending a glare at the man, "Why are you giving my assistant a hard time?"

"I'm not." Sam said as he came into her office, sitting the bag on her desk, "Do you feel like I was giving you a hard time Ms. Dupree?"

"Umm.." She chuckled nervously at the couple before stepping back, ignoring the question before looking at her boss, "I'll give you two some alone time."

Sam grabbed a container from the bag and handed it to her, "Hope you're not vegetarian or anything. Burger and fries for lunch as a peace offering in case I got you in trouble."

Virginia let out a snort as she took the food, "Thank you, Mr. Evans."

Mercedes watched as she closed the door behind her, seeing her husband grab the bag and turn her way, she frowned.

"Don't look at me like that. You know how I am about you, especially when you're pregnant." He said as he came over to where she was sitting, handing her the bag, "I also brought you a peace offering. One that I know you're going to accept because you've been craving it."

"Cuban Mojo Pork with guacamole on top and coconut rice, squeezed with lime juice over it?" Mercedes sent him a smile as she opened the container, letting all of the flavors fill up her nostrils, "Thank you, love but I'm still not forgetting what you did."

"I know, but I'm only looking out for you and her." Sam pressed a kiss to her lips before sitting down, poking her stomach gently, "How are you feeling?"

"Good." Mercedes replied as she picked up her fork and looked at her husband with a smile, "My session with Dr. Davis went well."

"That's great, baby. I actually have mines tomorrow after work." Sam responded softly as he placed his hand on her stomach, smiling when he felt her move, "She's active just like Ari was."

"Oh yeah." Mercedes swallowed the food in her mouth, nodding her head up and down, "Especially when she hears your voice."

Sam couldn't help but smile at that as he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her covered stomach, wrapping his arms around her as he laid his head down on her roundness.

Mercedes smiled at him as she continued to eat her food in the peaceful silence. She was so thankful for her overprotective husband. She loved this man to death.

* * *

Meredith placed her glasses on as she looked at her notes before looking back up at the man. Honestly, it had taken them awhile to get to this point but she didn't mind. He was a different kind of client with so much going on, she knew that it was best to wait until he felt comfortable enough to open up, just like her other patients, "Sam, I just want to applaud you for not giving up on me. A person of your standards and mind set would easily not come back after one session."

Sam sighed as he leaned back on the couch, "I'm not like everyone else. I want to be better for my family."

"And that's wonderful, but you also have to want to be better for yourself for this therapy to work." She spoke honestly as she glanced down at her notes she took from the last session, seeing exactly where she left off and wanted to pick back up at, "Today I want us to discuss Mercedes. I know you've told me the story about how you two met, but it was only brief. I want you to dig deep and tell me about your wife."

"Like I said before, Mercedes and I met in middle school. I've always had a crush on her, but always put my feelings on the back burner because my best friend at the time had a crush on her."

"Santana right?"

"Yeah." Sam shook his head as he let out a sigh, "Anyways, I asked her out our senior year. It took me so long, but I'm glad I finally did. As years went by, we had a lot of ups and downs, which we can get into another time. Asking Mercedes to be my girlfriend was one of the best moments of my life. Her agreeing to marry me topped it all." He let a smile take over his lips before he raised his eyes to look at her, "She's beautiful, caring, loving, and just an all around amazing person."

Meredith smiled as she listened to him speak nothing but good things about her, "Is there anything you don't like about your wife?"

"I don't like how she let the weakest individuals get to her."

"Meaning the people who have done her wrong, and the people who have sad nasty things about her, am I right?" She knew that this was a sore topic, and a very deep root to his anger problems, but they needed to talk about it.

"Yeah." He balled up his fists, just thinking about it made him pissed, "I hate seeing her upset, it just does something to me."

"Going off on her father, almost killing the boy in college, the coach, and recently your ex-friend, yeah it does something to you alright. It brings out the worse in you." Meredith said blatantly as she watched him closely, "I get it Sam. I would be furious and want to resort in nothing but violence if anyone intentionally hurt the ones I love. You love your wife so hard, and fiercely, that you just see red when someone comes at her incorrect. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that you are in the wrong, I'm just saying that we need to figure out a way to control your anger. There are always going to be people in the world who can't mind their own business."

"And I know that. All this that were going through now, I know it is only going to get worse for our daughters. I know that they are going to have it hard and it pisses me off just to think about it. I can't bear to see them go through shit just because the color of their skin."

"Majority of all minority and mix-race parents feel that way. It's not easy, trust me. I am a black woman who was adopted and raised by two loving white parents. I get it. It was not only hard for me growing up, but also my parents. The looks we got going out, nothing but pure hatred and disgust, but we ignored it and people like that because they were irrelevant and their opinion didn't matter. I can honestly say that I think your girls will brush mean words off. For one, getting to know the parents they have, they are going to be nothing but strong." She crossed her legs and looked at the young man before her, "Let me ask you something, how did you feel when you got the news about Mercedes being shot?"

"It felt like my whole world just stopped." He admitted honestly as he felt his eyes starting to water up just thinking about the horrible day, "I was numb, in a panic, an emotional wreck because there was a chance that I could've lost my wife and our baby, and I was filled with rage, wanting to kill whoever did it to her. Not going to lie, if I would've found him, I would've killed him without a second thought."

"And you know what? I believe you would've too. Like I mention earlier, your temper and the way you handle things is the main focus of what we need to work on, Sam. You said you wanted to get better for you family, and I said you also have to want to get better for yourself. We need to get to a place where you think before you react. I'm going to say this, we have enough kids growing without their fathers and some of the bad decisions that a parent makes, will have an effect on their child." She preached as she twirled the pen between her fingers, "Please don't think I'm asking you to change yourself, I'm just asking to alter yourself a bit. It's a good thing to be protective over your family, but one has to know the limits. Get what I'm saying?"

Sam listened to everything she was saying and he nodded his head. Everything that they've talked about and her advice made a lot of sense. A big thing he needed to do was think before he react because it could effect his family, "I understand."

"Great. I'm going to ask you one more question, then we can close this topic for now. Did you ever blame Josh for not protecting your wife?"

"People believed I did, but I didn't. Me not talking to him at the hospital wasn't intentional. I wasn't talking to anyone because I was so worried about my girls." Sam admitted honestly as he stared at her, "Josh did protect my wife. He did everything in his power and I'm forever grateful for him."

Dr. Davis nodded before she wrote something down in her table, not speaking for a moment before closing it up, "What's your ultimate goal you've trying to reach while you're in therapy?"

"I want to be a better person. I want to be more open about things I don't like to talk about. I'm already happy with my life and who's all in it, but I just want that happiness to stay."

Meredith smiled as she listened to what he said, "I think we're good for today. I'll see you next week."

"Thanks doc. See you next week." Sam said as he got up from the couch and headed out, taking a deep breath as he headed for the exit. He felt like a weight was lifted off his shoulders by getting things out. He was thankful that his dad did schedule these appointments because they were really helping him.


	37. Positive Vibes

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE MENTION.**

 **Anne Wilkerson-Marcia Cross**

 **1 Month Time Jump / Early June**

* * *

"I mean, I don't know why but I'm super nervous." Sam spoke as he followed his pregnant wife around in the kitchen, watching as she placed the pan of brownie batter in the oven.

"I'm sure she feels the same way too." Mercedes let out a small chuckle as she turned back to look at him, placing her hands on his shoulders, "Babe, everything is going to be fine. Stop stressing over it."

"I can't help it Mercedes. I'm like so protective over my father and I don't want to see him hurt ever." He sighed as he ran his hand through his hair, groaning, "I saw him go through it with my mother when I was younger, and that's something I don't ever want to see again."

"Sam, relax. I understand what you're saying, love, I do. I'm pretty sure that your dad wouldn't just bring anyone into his life if he's uncertain about them." Mercedes ran her hands down the sides of his face, pressing a kiss to his lips, "He seems super happy and secure, baby. He's going to be just fine."

Sam huffed out as he looked up at the ceiling, shaking his head, "Jesus be a fence."

Mercedes rolled her eyes at his dramatics as she went back to the stove to check on dinner. Tonight her and Sam was finally getting to meet the woman in Dwight's life. Since a lot has transpired over the past few months and Mercedes had just hit her seventh month of pregnancy, traveling was not an option. So, Dwight had asked if he could bring her out so they could meet her, and even get a chance to attend Arianna's birthday party tomorrow.

Sam heard the front door open and closed, leaning back to see who it was. Seeing that it was Josh, he released a deep breath as he tried to calm his nerves.

"What's up with you?" Josh asked as he came into the kitchen, taking note to the stress in his face as he sat the bags down.

"He's nervous about meeting his dad's new lady." Mercedes said with a smile, thanking Josh for buying some items that they needed for the party tomorrow.

"They're here already. I ran into them at the store and she's pretty nice." Josh said as he patted Sam's back, "You're going to like her."

Mercedes watched as he mumbled something and she shook her head, leaning back on the counter, she began rubbing her stomach, "How was therapy?"

Sam gazed at his wife's stomach with a smile, seeing how much she had grown over the past couple of weeks were amazing. Their little girl was going to be here in no time, and he couldn't wait. Hearing her question, he remove his eyes from her to look at his best friend.

Josh began unpacking the bags, "She literally had me lay on the couch and go to sleep. She didn't ask me anything, so we didn't talk at all. For my whole session, I was asleep."

"She was doing a stress test. She did it last time to me. It's to make sure that we're not letting anything negative dictate our lives because it can impact our health." Mercedes halted her hands on her stomach as she looked at them, "I'll be honest. I was so against therapy, even though I knew I needed it, but these three months of going has done nothing but helped me. Not just with what had happened, but also it's helping me deal with my pain about my mom and my brother."

"It's the best thing that has happened to me." Josh admitted as he grabbed the box of candles and put them by Ari's cupcakes.

Sam turned around when he heard little feet hitting against the hardwood, seeing that it was Ari who had just gotten off the couch from her nap.

Arianna rubbed her eyes as she came into the kitchen, going to straight to her mother with her arms outreached.

Sam picked her up because Mercedes couldn't bend over, handing her the sleepy girl. He watched as their daughter wrapped her arms around her mother's neck and laid her head down on her shoulder. She was so adorable.

Mercedes pressed a kiss to Ari's head just as the doorbell rung. Smiling, her eyes went to her husband as she began to walk out the kitchen, "I'm going to go change, be a good host until I get back."

"But.." Sam groaned as he watched her disappear out the kitchen. Turning around, he looked at Josh, who just shook his head and pointed to the door. He glared at him before walking out, taking a deep breath, he placed his hand on the doorknob and twisted it open.

Dwight smiled at his son, leaning forward to give him a hug as they greeted each other, "Hey son."

"Hey dad." Sam couldn't help but smile as he hugged him, patting his back, he let go and looked at the woman.

"Anne, this is my second eldest, Sam."

Anne smiled gently at the man as she held out her hand, waiting for him to take it before speaking, "It's nice to meet you, Sam."

"Likewise." Sam gave her a small smile as he shook her hand before moving aside so they could enter the home, "Y'all come on in." He locked the door and saw Josh coming out of the kitchen, "And I think you've already met my best friend, Josh."

"Yes I have."

Mercedes blew out a breath as she walked down the stairs with her little in her arms. She honestly didn't feel like changing out of her clothes, but she just changed out of her shirt and sweats, and slipped on a little t-shirt dress. Her hair was piled on top of her head and at this point, she really didn't care. Coming down the stairs fully, she saw a pretty red head woman next to Dwight.

"Papa." Ari called out with a smile as she reached out for Dwight, announcing their presence.

Dwight smiled brightly as he picked Ari out of Mercedes' arms, kissing her cheek before tossing her in the air. Hearing her giggles, he smiled as he caught her before turning to Mercedes for a hug, "Hey dear."

"Hey dad." Mercedes smiled as she gave him a hug the best she could with all of her stomach in the way.

Dwight kissed her forehead before letting go, moving back as he gestured to Anne, "Anne, this is my granddaughter Arianna and my daughter in law, Mercedes."

Anne smiled as she watched the little girl look at her curiously, "Hi there Arianna. You're such a beautiful girl." She chuckled when she looked back at her grandfather before looking over at Mercedes.

Mercedes giggled at her daughter before stepping closer to the woman, shaking her hand, "It's really nice to finally meet you."

Anne nodded as she locked her hands together, "You too. Dwight has told me so many great things about all of you."

"Same here." Mercedes said as she went over and grabbed her husband's hand, "How about we head on to the dining room?" She watched as everyone nodded before they made their way out. Looking up at her husband, she placed a small peck on his lips before they followed suit.

* * *

Mercedes decided to keep it light tonight since they were definitely pigging out tomorrow. She had cooked grilled chicken breast with rice pilaf and roasted veggies. Everyone seemed to enjoy it right along with the conversations they had. They learned more about Anne. She had two kids, who were seventeen and eighteen. She was originally born in New York, which explained the east coast vibe Mercedes picked up early on. She moved to Tennessee ten years ago for her job, which she was an owner of a jewelry boutique.

"Dinner was absolutely lovely, Mercedes."

Mercedes gave the woman a smile as she leaned back in the chair, "I'm glad you enjoyed it, Ms. Anne."

Anne smiled as she watched her begin to rub her stomach, sitting her glass down, "I never got a chance to ask. How far along are you? And do you know what you're having yet?"

"Seven months today, and we're having another little girl."

Sam smiled at that as he placed a kiss to the side of Ari's head, watching as she reached for another slice of her chicken.

"Girls rule." Anne grinned as she crossed her legs, staring at the family before her, "I just want to thank you both for opening up your home to me. I had to admit, I was very nervous coming here today." Anne spoke honestly as she looked to Dwight then her eyes going to Sam, "I was really nervous about meeting you, Sam. I know it's not easy for many people to accept someone they don't even know, but I just want you to know that I love your dad. He is the best thing that has happened to me since my kids were born."

Sam let what she said marinate in his head before he spoke, "When my dad told me that he was dating someone, I immediately was happy. He's the kind of person who puts others first before himself. He's an amazing person with the biggest heart, and I just want you to appreciate and cherish it."

"Dammit Sam." Mercedes mumbled quietly as she wiped the tears from her eyes, not even questioning why she got emotional.

Dwight couldn't help but get teary eyed at what his son just said. He was so grateful for all of his kids, but Sam held a special place in his heart. He was so much like him, it wasn't even funny.

Anne could easily tell the relationship between the two. It was so loving, strong, vulnerable, and real. She knew his heart was in the right place and she respected his honesty so much, "I do, Sam. I really do."

"That's good to know." Sam smiled at the woman before his eyes went down to his daughter, assisting with her fork so she could get some veggies.

"Alright, I don't know about everyone but I'm ready for dessert." Josh stood up from his seat grabbed a few plates so he could washed them.

"Do not bring Ari any. She's going to have enough sugar tomorrow."

"Momma." The little girl pouted as she turned her mother, seeing the look her mother was giving her, she let out a small sigh before going back to her food.

Anne was immediately stunned at how Arianna knew what her mother had said. She was definitely amazed at how smart the little tot was.

"I should go get our bags from out of the car." Dwight said as he gave Anne's hand a squeeze before grabbing his empty plate and taking it to the sink before heading out.

"I hope you don't mind but I brought her a gift." Anne spoke all while pulling something from her purse, lifting up the small box that was wrapped in Doc McStuffins paper, "Dwight told me she loves the show, and I keep some wrapping paper in the store for the kids."

"That's was very sweet of you, thank you so much." Mercedes said as she turned to her daughter, "What do you say, Cookie?

Arianna stared at the unknown woman before turning to her parents, seeing them nod their heads, she turned back around and hesitantly reached out to take the gift, "Tank you."

"You're so welcome, sweetie."

Sam felt his phone vibrating in his pocket and he pulled it out, reading the name across the screen, "If y'all excuse me for a second."

Mercedes grabbed Ari from him, watching as she began to tear the paper off the box. Once she got it off, she helped her open the box and she gasped at the handmade nameplate, "Oh my god, this is so pretty. Did you make this?"

"I did. I actually made one for all of you." Anne said as she pulled three more boxes out, handing Mercedes two for her and Sam, and then Josh once he came back to the table, "I was a little hesitant at first because I didn't want you guys to think I was trying to 'buy' you."

"I love it, thank you." Josh said as he stuffed brownie in his mouth, looking at the dog tags with his name on it as well.

Mercedes nodded in agreement as her hand gazed over the plate, "Me too, it's beautiful. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome." Anne smiled just as Dwight came back in, standing up from her seat, "If you'll excuse me. I'm quite tired from our trip, so I'm going to go to bed. Again, thank you Sam and Mercedes for opening up your home to me."

Sam gave her a nod with a smile, "No problem."

"Goodnight, everyone."

"Yeah, I just have one question." Josh pipped in once they left the room, turning to his two friends, "How do you think it's going to go with both your mom and dad with their significant others tomorrow?"

"I mean, I don't think anything should go wrong. They haven't been together in almost twenty years, so." Sam spoke as he sat back down at in his seat, picking up one of the brownies, "These last few months, my mom and dad have gotten to a place where they respect each other. So, nothing should go bad for the simple fact that it's Ari's birthday, they know not to bring drama and two, they don't have feelings for each other anymore."

"And if anything does go out of order, this mama is raising hell." Mercedes said as she moved her hands from Arianna's ears, pressing a kiss to her forehead as she sat the little girl to her feet before standing up, "And on that note, I'm going to head up to bed. We have a long day ahead of us, boys."

Josh smiled when she walked around and gave him a kiss on his forehead too, "Goodnight Cedes."

Sam leaned his head back just in time to feel her lips on his, smiling as he stared up at her, "I'll be up in a few." He watched as she nodded and headed out of the kitchen so she could get ready for bed.

Arianna went over and climbed into her daddy's lap, pointing over to the plate of brownies before looking up at him, "Daddy."

"Stay strong, man. Fight the adorableness."

Sam made a mistake in looking into her big brown eyes. He knew exactly what she was doing and there was a very high chance that he was going to cave, "Dammit." He muttered as he reached over and broke one in half, handing it to her.

Josh just shook his head at his best friend. He had no ounce of courage to say no when it came to his daughter, but who is he to judge when he's the same way.

* * *

Since it was Ari's second birthday, her parents decided to not go to extremes like they did last year. This time, Mercedes had planned it. It was family, friends, and she had invited the kids from Ari's daycare. It was a pool party with a Doc McStuffins theme. The menu consists of pizza, hot dogs, chips, cupcakes, and popsicles.

"You know Mercedes planned this party, because there's not face painters and thousands of bouncing houses in sight." Summer joked as she bumped her brother's shoulder, laughing when he rolled his eyes at her, "I kid, I kid."

"Sue me if I want to go all out for my kid's first birthday." Sam closed the cap the mustard and placed the bottle back on the counter.

Summer picked the hot dog off his plate and took a bite, snorting when she saw his mouth fall open. It was never a day she wouldn't get tired of messing with her brother. She gasped when she felt her head go back, glaring at him when he yanked her ponytail.

"What are you two doing?" Mercedes asked once she came into the kitchen, seeing the two siblings glaring at each other.

"She stole my hot dog."

"He pulled my hair."

"Grow up, both of you." Mercedes stared at them in disbelief before shaking her head and going over to get her something to drink, "Arianna doesn't even act like this."

Sam gave his sister a stink eye before opening the buns back up so he could fix him a new dog, mumbling underneath his breath.

"Not swimming today?"

"I'm pretty sure that little hyper daughter of ours is going to make me." Mercedes chuckled as she leaned back against the counter, smiling at her, "Have you met Anne yet?"

"I did." She answered as she bit into the stolen dog again, picking up her napkin to wipe her hands. She frowned once she found the married couple staring at her, "What?"

"Do you like her is the real question?"

"Yeah, because you are mean as a snake, babe." Mercedes admitted as she smirked once she rolled her eyes, "You know it's true."

Summer moved her hair from out face as she stared at the woman in front of her, "I mean, she's alright. A whole upgrade from what he married and who she married in return."

"Summer, chill out and give mom a break. She has been trying, and she has actually changed for the better. And Matt has always been nice to all of us, whether we liked it or not."

"Why the hell are you getting pissed with me? You asked a question and I gave you my answer."

"Stop it. Y'all are not going to sit here and argue at my baby's party." Mercedes said as she walked up and glared at them both. Before she could say anything, Stevie was coming into the door with a giggling Ari in his arms.

"Momma, unk eevie pink." Arianna smiled brightly as she reached out for her, once she got into her arms, she pointed to the young man's face.

"Please don't ask, please."

Mercedes tucked her lips in her mouth as she looked at Ari, who was just smiling and laughing at her uncle. She pressed a kiss to her cheek, before making eye contact with the two silent, stubborn siblings. Rolling her eyes, she looked back down at her daughter, "Let's go outside, Cookie."

Stevie went to get a wet towel so he could attempt to get the paint off, turning back around, he found his siblings staring at him confusedly. He rolled his eyes as he opened up the towel and placed it over his face.

Sam shook his head as he got up from his seat to throw his trash away, picking up his water bottle before heading out back. Opening the door, he winced slightly at the sun before sliding his sunglasses on his face. Looking out at everyone, he chuckled when he saw his little sister. Since their pool was blocked up for the kids safety, Mercedes had went out and bought a big kiddie pool. Summer had volunteered to be the lifeguard and she honestly took it seriously while having the whole get up.

Mary excused herself from talking to some of the parents before making her way over to her son, giving him a small smile, "Party turned out really nice."

"It did."

Mary nodded before crossing her arms, her eyes going over to where Mercedes and Ari were, sighing as she spoke, "Why didn't you tell me your dad was dating?"

"No offense mom, but it's wasn't my place to tell." He said as he looked at her confusedly, crossing his arms as he stared at her, "Why does it matter anyways? You've been moved on, and he's doing the same."

Mary rolled her eyes at her son, "It doesn't matter, Sam. I just asked a question that's all. He seems happy, and that's a good thing."

Sam continued to stare at his mom, trying to figure out why she was acting like she was until it hit him, "You still love him, don't you?"

"Samuel, your father and I had a good run in the beginning then I went and messed it up." Mary shrugged as she crossed her arms as well, looking over at him, "He's a good man and he deserves to be happy. I am always going to love him because he is the father of my children. So, take it how you want."

Sam mouth was wide open as he watched her walk away. He couldn't believe what he just heard right now. Scratch that, he was seriously thinking that his mind was playing some tricks on him.

Mercedes smiled at Ari as she grabbed ahold of her friend Mandy's hand and walked over to the pool. Sitting the bubbles down on the table, she looked over and found her husband staring at his mother weirdly. She walked over to where he was and snapped her fingers in front of his face to get his attention.

"My mom is still in love with my dad." The words fell from his mouth before his eyes made contact with his wife's, seeing her mouth twitch up into a smile before a giggle escaped, he stared at her in disbelief, "What is so funny about that?"

"Baby, I'm surprised it took her to tell you for you to realize that." Mercedes chuckled as she ran her hands down his cheeks, pressing a small kiss to his lips when he frowned.

"How did you figure it out?"

"Let's see." Mercedes smiled as she wrapped her arms around him, "First dead give away was at Thanksgiving. They were just starting the process of being cordial with one another. I think when she saw him interacting with Ari relit something in her. Second time was at Christmas when they began engaging in small conversations. Third time was when I was in the hospital. Believe it or not, they actually comfort each other."

"Do you think she wants to get back with him?"

"No." Mercedes answered honestly as she placed her hands on his shoulders, "In my opinion, I think she realizes she lost a good man but she loves her husband. Deep down, she will always have love for your Dad because they were married then had kids together. But I will say that she is definitely a little jealous of Anne."

"That's clear as day, I actually can see that." Sam snorted as he shook his head, staring down at her as he wrapped his arms around her, "Enough about them, wanna get in the pool?"

Before Mercedes could answer, she felt a pair of wet arms wrap around her leg. Looking down, she saw that it was their daughter staring at them with a smile.

"Momma, daddy..pool." She turned and pointed to the big one, looking back at them with bright eyes.

Sam bent down and picked her up, kissing her cheek, "Come on my Cookie Monster. Let's go to the big pool."

"I'm right behind you." Mercedes said before she turned and grabbed her cup before following her husband. Today had really turned out to be a great day. It was so nice to be surrounded by positive vibes and really get to enjoy their daughter's birthday with no drama.


	38. Trio Fun

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **ENJOY :)**

* * *

The laughter of pure happiness coming from the backyard could be heard throughout the whole neighborhood. It was the last Sunday morning in June and it was made for nothing more than family time. It's been a rocky couple of months for them but they got through it. He was so happy and content with his life right now, it was breathtaking. He loved his family so much and wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.

"Daddy, that's cold." Arianna squealed as she kept her arms locked tightly around his neck, pressing her wet cheek against as Sam moved in the water.

Sam chuckled as he held onto her, walking around in the pool as he helped his little one swim. Every since Ari's birthday party two weeks ago, she has been obsessed with getting in the pool and has done so since then.

"Alright you two, get out and get some food in your bellies." Mercedes called out stepped down the steps with a smile, going over to sit the big plate that contained three sandwiches and some fruit down on the table, taking and placing the three bottles of water out the crook of her arm as well, "You two are so wrinkled."

Sam snorted as he held onto to Ari and walked up the stairs, going over to where his wife was, "We've been in since this morning. She doesn't want to get out."

Mercedes giggled as she grabbed a towel, picking Ari out of his arms and wrapping the towel around her.

"Momma, pool." She smiled as she touched her chest then pointed to the pool, "Us."

Mercedes kissed her nose before taking a seat in the chair, "You need to take a break and eat."

"But.."

"No buts, Arianna." Mercedes gave her a knowing look, watching as she pouted and let out a sigh. She looked over at Sam, who was cracking up at the interaction, "I swear she's two going on twelve."

Sam smiled as he dried off before wrapping the towel around his waist, going over to take a seat beside them, "She's super smart and attentive, it's scary sometimes."

Mercedes watched as she leaned forward and picked up a piece of honeydew and strawberry, trying to stuff both in her mouth but stopped when she realized it wasn't going to work.

"How are you feeling, mama bear?"

"Very pregnant." Mercedes giggled as she looked at him with a smile, "But overall, I've been great. Virginia has been such a great help at work with keeping me stress free, therapy sessions are going great, and I have an amazing family I get to come home to."

"Yes you do."

Arianna chewed her food as she leaned back on her mom, her eyes moving down to her stomach curiously, "Baby."

"Mhm, Cookie Monster." Sam smiled as he watched her eyes stare at her mother's stomach before lifting them back to him, "You're going to be a big sister."

Arianna stared at him confusedly, her small brow raising up before turning to Mercedes, "Sistur?"

Mercedes giggled as she nodded her head, pressing a kiss to her forehead, "Yes baby girl."

Ari's eyes went back to her stomach before pressing a kiss to it, "Little baby..I love you."

Sam smiled at scene before him, seeing Mercedes starting to immediately tear up. He leaned over and grabbed his phone, switching the camera on before taking pictures, "You're such a sweet girl, Ari."

Mercedes sniffled as she nodded her head in agreement, running her hair through her damp, messy hair, "Love you."

"Love you, momma." Ari leaned up and kissed her lips, smiling as she hugged her as well. Once she let go, she turned back around and grab the last sandwich, handing to her mom so she could eat too.

"Thank you, baby." Mercedes smiled as she leaned back in the chair, biting into the sandwich. After trio ate their lunch and waited for twenty minutes afterwards, Sam had ended up convincing Mercedes to come join them in the pool, where they spent the next two hours in.

* * *

Mercedes sat on the floor in their empty back room, clad in her sports bra and yoga pants. She had decided to do something really cool for them today. Due to the incident months ago, she had took a break from her baby blog. Tina had volunteered to keep it updated for her and she was thankful for that. But now that she was in a much better place, she was ready to get back active. Not only was this something for the blog but just something in general fun to do with her little girl.

"Momma, I has it." Arianna yelled loudly as she ran into the room, holding up the paint bushes her daddy gave her. Dressed in just a long white t-shirt and her undies, thankful parents Sam and Mercedes were happy that her potty training was quick and successful, she went over to her mother with a big smile. She sat on the floor and carefully moved the brushes from out of the pockets. Standing up again when she got the one she wanted, she went up to her mom and stood beside her.

"You can go baby." Mercedes encouraged as she leaned up and kissed her cheek, leaning back on the cloth covered floor and laying her head down on the pillows.

Ari smiled as she went over and stared at all of the colors before deciding to dip her medium sized brush in the blue first. Turning back around, she ran it across her mom's stomach, causing the woman to jump a bit.

Mercedes giggled once the paint made contact with her skin, seeing her daughter's eyes go wide, "It's cold."

"Sorry."

Sam had just finished cleaning up the front of the house when he came into the room with the camera. Smiling at his girls, he lifted it up and took an off guard picture of the two.

Mercedes looked up when the flash went off, seeing that it was her husband, she smiled and gestured for him to come to her.

Sam stepped over one of the trays and went to sit beside her, seeing the beginning of the work their munchkin was doing, he was instantly amazed, "Wow, wow...she's.."

"Consistent and doesn't paint like a normal child. She did the same thing a few months ago when Josh had her painting at the gallery." Mercedes interrupted as she stared over at him, "Babe, I really think she's gifted. She's doing and learning things way ahead of her time."

"Which isn't a bad thing at all. She's just super smart." Sam smiled as he watched Ari go and grabbed another brush for a different color. His eyes went down to Mercedes' stomach and saw that she was doing an array of different color straight lines and circles. He lifted the camera up and snapped a picture of it before sitting the camera and joining in on the fun.

Arianna sat the brush down for a minute and went over to Sam, patting him on his leg to get his attention, "Daddy, fix my hair please."

Sam noticed the one of her braids had came loose from earlier and he leaned down and braided it back for her.

Mercedes couldn't help the smile on her lips as she watched him. He has gotten so much better with doing her hair, she was so proud of him, "Sam?"

"Yes love?"

"I love you so much."

Sam continued to braid as his eyes found hers, letting out a lopsided grin before he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips, "I love you more."

Arianna felt Sam stop and turned around to hug him, "Thank you, daddy."

"You're welcome, Cookie." He watched as she ran back over to Mercedes before he grabbed the yellow paint and brought it over to where he was previously sitting at, dipping his own brush in.

Ari hummed out as she turned around and pulled the tray of pink paint to her, taking both of her hands and placing them in there. Once she moved them around in the paint good, she went and put them on Mercedes' stomach.

"Ooo, that's so pretty Ari." Mercedes commented as the little girl lifted her hands, showcasing her pink handprints on the right side of her stomach.

Arianna smiled brightly as she sat on her knees, tapping her dad's arm, "Daddy, do you."

"Pick out a color for me." Sam watched as she came closer to him and pointed to his left eye, "Green?"

"Grah-een." She sounded out as she watched his mouth move, when he nodded approvingly, she smiled before she went back to what she was doing.

"Looks like little bean is awake and wants to join in on the fun." Mercedes commented once she felt their daughter start to move around, "We have to start thinking of a name for her."

Sam had just covered his hands with the green paint as he watched their daughter's foot run across Mercedes' stomach, smiling, "I actually have one."

Mercedes eyes went wide with excitement, "You do?"

"Yeah..I um, I've been had it for awhile now." Sam spoke softly as he left his handprints on her stomach, eyes going to hers, "Ayah Lynne. Lynne is for my grandmother and you know how close I was to her before she died. Ayah..well, it's after what happened. I don't want it to seem like a reminder of the bad, but of the good. Ayah means 'miracle' and our little girl was indeed that. She survived something terrible, and I'm forever grateful. So..I-I don't know if you like..."

"It's perfect." Mercedes whispered as tears fell from her eyes, sitting up slowly as she leaned forward and kissed him softly before placing her forehead against his, "You're amazing, you know that right?"

"Far from it." He sent her a sad smile as he ran his hand across her cheek, leaving a small kiss on her lips, "I love you and our girls more than anything in this world. I hope you know that."

Mercedes sniffled as she stared at him, "I do, I really do."

Arianna looked between her parents and went over to them, wrapping her arms around them the best she could, causing them both to smile. This is what it was all about. Happiness, love and peace. That's all they wanted.

* * *

 **A/N. This was just small, sweet update before we dive back into the storyline. Huge things lie ahead for this story, can't wait for y'all to read. In the mean time, hope you enjoyed & if you haven't already, check out my new story, One Of The Boys!**


	39. We're Going To Be Okay

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GLEE NOR ANYTHING ELSE.**

 **Scars To Your Beautiful- Alessia Cara**

* * *

"Baby?"

"Yes?"

"Slow down and just breathe."

Mercedes as she shifted her weight to the the chair, doing exactly what he said as she closed her eyes, "This is too much."

"You're making it too much, my love. Quite honestly, you should be at home in the bed." Sam smiled when he heard her let out a grunt, turning on his signal light, "You know I'm telling the truth."

"I know but I just want to make sure everything is in order Sam."

"You're eight months pregnant, you need to be at home resting. I'm pretty sure Crystal and Gina can manage without you." Sam noticed how quiet she got and knew she was slowly caving, "You and baby Bean do not need any extra stress."

Mercedes smiled at the nickname Sam had kept for their second daughter, Ayah. She sighed in content as she began to rub her stomach, "You're right. I just want everything together so this event can turn out good."

"It's going to turn out amazing and you know it love. Everything you do always does."

"Stop it, Sam." She sniffled as she felt her eyes watering up, lips quivering as she spoke, "Y-You're seriously the best husband ever, I love you so, so much."

Sam smiled at her words, getting on the freeway, "I love you more, little baby. Ari and I will be there in a few to pick you up."

"Okay." She said before hanging up the phone, grunting lowly as she turned on her heels and walked into the room where Josh was.

"This look is definitely for you." Josh complimented as he watched her turn around, chuckling when she glared at him only to wince she punched him in his shoulder.

Mercedes stared down at her outfit and grunted on some more. She was dressed in he only thing that was fitting her at the moment and that was an oversized purple short sleeved t-shirt that came to her below her knees with her green vans. Her hair was pulled into two big puffs with a tired makeup free face, throwing her hands up, "I'm over it."

"Me too." Josh mimicking her hand motions as he watched her tuck her arms underneath her stomach, smiling. Today he was helping her get some things together for the charity event, "It looks fine in here, but you look like you're going to pop anytime soon."

Mercedes cut her eyes at him, "Are you implying that I look bad?"

Josh winced as he shook his head, standing up, he opened up his mouth to speak before stopping when she waved him off and walked away, "I love you."

"Screw you." Mercedes called back as she stepped up the steps carefully, making her way to the front of the stage where the man was setting up the mic stand, "I was just doing one song for the dinner but I don't know exactly what."

"I think you should do something fun and upbeat. It's a happy occasion so the song should be just about that." Josh gave his input as he watched her nod her head, "Anything but a love song."

Mercedes gave him a sad smile, her heart breaking knowing exactly why he said that. Josh was such an amazing man with big and loving heart, she just didn't understand how anyone could do him wrong. She broke out of her thoughts when she saw the drummer come up to her.

"Mercedes, if you want to do a run through the practice song, we're set up."

"Okay." Mercedes answered with a smile before turning to look at Josh again, "Be thinking for me. You know I have pregnancy brain."

Josh chuckled as he leaned back in the chair, watching as she straighten out a stand.

Mercedes tapped her foot as she nodded her head, hearing the band starting to play the intro. She moved her head to the side as she held onto the mic.

 _She just wants to be beautiful_

 _She goes unnoticed, she knows no limits_

 _She craves attention, she praises an image_

 _She prays to be sculpted by the sculptor_

 _Oh, she don't see the light that's shining_

 _Deeper than the eyes can find it_

 _Maybe we have made her blind_

 _So she tries to cover up her pain_

 _And cut her woes away_

 _'Cause covergirls don't cry_

 _After their face is made_

 _But there's a hope that's waiting for you in the dark_

 _You should know you're beautiful just the way you are_

 _And you don't have to change a thing_

 _The world could change its heart_

 _No scars to your beautiful_

 _We're stars and we're beautiful_

 _And you don't have to change a thing_

 _The world could change its heart_

 _No scars to your beautiful_

 _We're stars and we're beautiful_

 _She has dreams to be an envy, so she's starving_

 _You know, "Covergirls eat nothing."_

 _She says, "Beauty is pain and there's beauty in everything."_

 _"What's a little bit of hunger?"_

 _"I can go a little while longer," she fades away_

 _She don't see her perfect_

 _She don't understand she's worth it_

 _Or that beauty goes deeper than the surface_

 _Ah, oh, ah, ah oh_

 _So to all the girls that's hurting_

 _Let me be your mirror_

 _Help you see a little bit clearer_

 _The light that shines within_

 _There's a hope that's waiting for you in the dark_

 _You should know you're beautiful just the way you are_

 _And you don't have to change a thing_

 _The world could change its heart_

 _No scars to your beautiful_

 _We're stars and we're beautiful_

 _And you don't have to change a thing_

 _The world could change its heart_

 _No scars to your beautiful_

 _We're stars and we're beautiful_

 _No better you than the you that you are_

 _No better life than the life we're living_

 _No better time for your shine, you're a star_

 _Oh, you're beautiful, oh, you're beautiful_

 _There's a hope that's waiting for you in the dark_

 _You should know you're beautiful just the way you are_

 _And you don't have to change a thing_

 _The world could change its heart_

 _No scars to your beautiful_

 _We're stars and we're beautiful_

 _And you don't have to change a thing_

 _The world could change its heart_

 _No scars to your beautiful_

 _We're stars and we're beautiful_

"Wow..that song..."

"Needs to be heard." The both said at the same time, nodding their heads in unison.

Mercedes placed her hand on her stomach, taking a breather as she let go of the mic, making her way back down and heading to take seat beside him, "Can I share something with you?"

"Always."

Mercedes played with her hands in her lap, clearing her throat before speaking, "I was like that girl in the song."

Josh looked at her confusedly, "What do you mean?"

"Nobody knew but I was super depressed in high school. With the dealings of my dad, not having a mother and insecurity." She felt herself getting emotional and shook it off, letting out a meaningless, nervous smile, "There were times that I wouldn't eat because I felt that I was too fat. I hated looking in the mirror because I thought I wasn't pretty enough. I only did the cheerleading thing to cover it up, and now that I'm older, I see that I was only torturing myself by being someone I didn't want to be. I..um, I use to cut..thinking that it would take the pain away. I hid my scars by wearing bracelets and watches." Mercedes lifted up her right wrist, turning it to him with the butterfly tattoo, "I covered them before I went to college. To me, this symbolized a new beginning and a new outlook of myself. I never tried to get help, and I know now that was the biggest mistake. It was really Sam who helped me without even knowing. Him telling me that I was beautiful every single day and actually meaning it was the catalyst to me starting to see myself differently."

It felt like he was hit with a ton of bricks as tears streamed down his face. He did not know that Mercedes went through this, hell how could he? That only goes to show that you never know what's really going on with a person, "Mercedes.." He didn't even know what to say. He was truly, utterly heartbroken and upset. He couldn't believe his friend was hurting to this extent and he nor anyone else didn't even know, "I-I never noticed."

"Because being good at faking a smile can cover up everything."

"Does Sam know?"

Mercedes sighed at the memory as she rested her hands on top of her stomach, "Yeah, I told him our senior year on our anniversary date. I remember it like it was yesterday."

"How did he react?"

"Like he always does. Angry because he failed to see I was hurting, sad because I even felt that way and more determine to make sure I don't ever get to that point again."

Josh sniffled as he wiped his eyes, putting his head down, "I-I'm so sorry you went through this, especially alone."

"I'm not." Mercedes saw the disbelief in his tears eyes and she leaned over and grabbed his hand, "It was lesson and a trial I needed to get through, and I'm glad I did. During the process, I learned how to re-love everything about myself."

Josh leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her, trying to stop his crying but he was having a very hard time doing so.

"Why are there tears?" Sam asked when he saw Josh and Mercedes engulfed into a hug, tears streaming down his best friend's face.

Mercedes rubbed Josh's back before letting go, leaning up with her hands and wiping the tears from his face, "I told him about my low point."

"Oh.." Sam said knowingly as he cane in, going over and paying his shoulder, "I know it's a lot to take in but the positive thing is, she's not that girl anymore."

"It still hurts to know that we were oblivious to her hurting, Sam." Josh said as his lips trembled, looking between them, "I say this all the time, Mercedes is like my little sister. When she hurts, I hurt."

Mercedes gave him a smile as she leaned her head down on his shoulder, continuing to rub his back.

Josh sniffled, sitting up when he heard his phone ringing, picking it up from the table, "It's my mom, excuse me."

Sam watched as he walked out and he turned back to his wife, giving her a sad smile as he reached out his hand.

"He's the second big brother I never thought I wanted or needed." Mercedes spoke softly as she grabbed Sam's outreached hand, intertwining their fingers as she walked forward and sat on his lap, "I'm so proud of how far I've come."

"I am too, baby." Sam left a kiss on her cheek as his free hand went to her belly before placing his chin on her shoulder, "Did you cry?"

"For the first time, I didn't." She laughed as she turned her face to him, smiling, "Therapy is the cause of that. It has been helping me tremendously. I do regret not getting it sooner, but I'm so happy that I am now."

"I really, really love you, beautiful."

"Ditto my love." Mercedes smiled as she pinched his cheeks, leaning down to place her lips on top of his, "Where's my baby?"

"She's downstairs eating with Virginia. The girl has inherited my appetite."

Mercedes pursed her lips as she shook her head, getting up from his lap, "You're just now noticing that. We spend majority of our paycheck on food."

Sam playfully rolled his eyes at her, mumbling underneath his breath as he stood up as well, "We gotta eat."

Mercedes snorted as she grabbed ahold of his hand, shaking her head as they headed out. Nothing has ever been easy for her, but she had expected it unfortunately. She was just thankful that she had loving family and friends by her side. Everything was going to be okay.

* * *

"Pick it up, fresh meat." Anthony called out as he watched his new teammates do the drill, tossing the football in his hands, "If you thought the first month was hell, you have no idea what you're in for."

"Welcome to part two of summer practices, ladies." Terrance smirked, turning around when he heard someone's footsteps, "And welcome back coach, I see that razors where non-existent during your time away."

"You can join them in running. I don't care if you're ankle is sprained, keep playing with me."

Terrance smiled as he leaned over and patted his shoulder, while Dylan, Ant and a few other upperclassmen came over, "It's good to have you back, coach."

Sam rolled his eyes at him as a small chuckle left his mouth, shaking his head. Even though Sam returned to work after the incident, he asked his boss the same week he came back if he could have the month of June off for personal time, "Since coach has taken a much needed vacation, he has left me in charge this month, unfortunately."

"Ah coach, you loves us."

"Y'all really giving me reasons not to." Sam smirked when they rolled their eyes, crossing his arms over his chest, "In all seriousness, you guys are seriously the best and I'm blessed to have you in my life. Thank you for making my first season a great one."

"Damn, why you gotta be so emo?" AJ said as he quickly wipe the tear away from his eyes, coughing a bit.

Dylan smiled as he looked at the man, "You're a great man, coach, we're the ones who should be thanking you."

"Seriously. I know I be joking around but you mean a lot to me." Terrance admitted as he took a deep breath, "You, mom and Ari have become like second family to me..to all of us really. We're just very grateful that you took this job."

"And y'all talk about me making y'all emo." He chuckled right along with them, shaking his head with a smile before placing the whistle in his mouth and blowing it for them to stop, "Alright everyone, stop for a moment and take a breather. I just want to formally welcome the freshmen and transfers. We are happy to have you on the team and even more excited for the upcoming season. Thankfully, we will get a break from these tiring workouts and practices. Saturday is the flag football game for the charity event."

"Indeed it is, hi boys." Mercedes spoke as she came up to the the group, chuckling at the chorus of hey mom ran out as she stood beside her husband. It was unknown when it started, but throughout the year, the boys had dropped the Mrs. and referred to her as mom, due to her motherly behavior towards them.

"For those who don't know, this is my wife. She is head of the music department, and an advisor."

Dylan nodded his head from his seat on the ground, "And she's our unofficial assistant coach, our motivational speaker and she bakes some really good oatmeal raisin cookies."

Mercedes snorted with a smile, waving at the unfamiliar faces, "Welcome everyone, I hope you guys are settling in okay and hopefully these old heads aren't giving you too much trouble."

Terrance smirked as he crossed his arms, glancing over to them, "I wouldn't answer that newbies."

Mercedes pursed her lips at him and then the rest of the upperclassmen before turning to Derek and Sam, giving them a pointed look.

"We do not haze, gentlemen. I warned y'all. Don't get your ass put off the team."

"Don't worry coach, we heard you loud and clear the first five hundred times."

"We wouldn't do anything like that, mom." AJ said as he winced when Mercedes cut her eyes at him, "I promise."

"I swear.." Mercedes started as she pointed her finger at them before grunting, "Anyways, I just want to thank you guys in advance for the ones volunteering for the charity event Friday night and Saturday. I really appreciate each and every one of you."

"Thank you for the invite. This scrimmage game is going to be fun and on a even bigger note, we're raising money for a good cause."

Mercedes nodded as she rubbed her hand across her stomach when she felt Ayah kicking her heavily.

"You okay?" Sam asked once he saw a twinge of pain on her face, once she nodded her head, he turned back to his team, "Give me five y'all." He grabbed ahold of Mercedes' hand and led her to the bench so she could sit, "I can take you home."

"I'm fine, Sam." Mercedes gave her husband a smile, squeezing his hand so he could relax, "I'm not due until next month."

"That doesn't mean anything. Babies can come at any time, and they definitely can come early if their mother is stressed." Sam pouted as he stared at her, leaning down and poking her stomach playfully, "Please go home and get some rest."

Mercedes sighed once he gave her those eyes, rolling her own just as he let out a congratulatory smile seeing that she caved, "Fine."

"I love you." He said as he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her lips, smirking when she pulled back and glared at him.

"Whatever." She said as she slowly got up from the bench, causing him to do so as well, "Have fun sleeping out of our room tonight."

Sam let out a low chuckle as he watched her wobbled away, smiling before going back to the field. He was use to her kicking him out of the room during this pregnancy but it never lasted. She stayed needing him to cuddle with because she could never be comfortable by herself.

* * *

Later on that night, Josh had ended up cooking dinner for the family. They ate in silence, mostly because all three where consumed in their thoughts. Once Ari had finished, Sam had took her up for her bath and got her ready for bed, while Josh cleaned up and an exhausted Mercedes retired to bed.

Sam had laid down in the guest bedroom, only light was beaming from the TV as the cool air from the vents hit his skin. He turned his head when he heard a light knock on the door, following by it opening.

Smiling knowingly when he saw his wife standing there in her night gown and Rocky right beside her, the dog glued protectively to her side.

Mercedes tugged her bottom lip into her mouth, sighing as she looked at him shyly, "Can I lay with you?"

"You don't need to ask, come on." He watched a smile come over her lips as she came into the room, sliding over so she could get in.

Mercedes carefully climbed into the bed, and instantly cuddled into his side, laying her head down on his chest as she turned her attention to the television. Rocky jumped in and laid down at the foot of the bed.

Sam kissed her forehead before his hand went to her stomach, rubbing circles around it before he dropped his head on top of hers.

"I love you too."

Sam heard her whisper her response back from earlier, he smiled as his eyes went to the TV as well, "Pretty soon our house won't be this quiet."

"I know." Mercedes giggled lowly as she draped her arm around him, "A newborn and a toddler who's at the start her terrible twos."

"Oh yeah, I didn't think she would be as bad, but she screamed, pushed the toys off the table and busted out in tears when I dropped her off at daycare this morning." Sam shivered at the memory, "I almost started crying."

Mercedes laughed at him, "And everyone said I was going to be the really sensitive parent."

"They were wrong." The couple both said at the same time before the room filled up with their laughter, a peaceful mood shifting in the air.

"I haven't ask you this since before I was pregnant with Ari, but how many kids do you want?"

"I honestly never had set a number. I've been in a mindset to where I feel like that should be your choice because you're the one that has to go through nine months of bliss and slight agony then pushing out a tiny human." Mercedes smiled at that, her eyes watering up once he intertwine their fingers together, "I love our Cookie Monster, and I know I'm going to love our little Bean. If it's in the cards for us to have more kids, it's a blessing and I'm down with it."

"I love you so much."

"I love you the most."

"Impossible."

"Very possible."

Mercedes laughed at the banter between them before leaning up and giving him a small kiss, "Forgive me for my mood-swings and come back to our room."

"Let's just stay here for the night." Sam said as he smiled down at her, tapping his finger against her nose, "Matter fact, how about we have a midnight snack?"

"I'm not about to have sex with you."

Sam rolled his eyes as he let her go, getting up from the bed and standing up, "An actually midnight snack, Cedes. I know you've been craving cold bananas and pomegranates arils. So, me being the best husband in the whole world, I stocked refrigerator." He smiled as he held out his hands for her to take ahold, seeing her eyes immediately starting to water up, he chuckled, "Oh man, you're killing me."

"I'm sorry." She said through her tears, grabbing ahold of his hands, sniffling as he brought her to his chest and wrapped his arms around her, "You're so sweet and thoughtful. I love you."

"I love you more." Sam rubbed her back to try to come her down, shaking his head as he tucked his lips into his mouth to keep the rest of his laughter in, knowing that she could flip at any moment and be pissed with him from laughing. Pressing a kiss to her head, smiling as he pulled back and grabbed ahold of her hand. He led her out the room and downstairs, where the couple enjoyed their late night snack.

* * *

 **A/N. Hey guys! I know it's been awhile, but school has been taking over my life. I'm so slammed with work, and beyond exhausted. The free time I do have, I have no energy nor urge to write. I just wanted to let you all know that as always, I'm still here and updates on all my stories are going to be very slow for the moment. Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter & can't wait to read your reviews!**


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